The Rosemund Academy for Talented Youths
by Kitty-Mae
Summary: Slight AU. Contains OCs. Crystal Rosemund, a native to Bayville, opens an academy to help young mutants learn how to control their powers, without knowing that the Xavier Institute was founded for the exact same reason.
1. Strategy X

Okay, here's the first chapter of Rosemund Academy. It was supposed to be up three days ago, but after re-reading what I had written, I decided I didn't like it and re-wrote the majority of it. Also, during the move, my modem apparently forgot what it was supposed to be doing(the tech's words, not mine) and my internet crashed. Everything's back up and running, so here we go!

Also, the Final Decisions chapter has been updated to include most of the Brotherhood OCs, though one spot is open, but any character submitted for this spot must be male.

I would like to once again thank everyone who sent in an OC. There were so many good ones! I'm sorry if your OC didn't make the cut, but I could only choose so many. And remember, the full cast list hasn't been posted yet, and won't be for a good while. I'm going to try and make my chapters coincide with the Evolution episodes, and so new recruits won't appear until the chapter that will correspond with Growing Pains.

Okay, I've given each teacher a small part in this chapter, so those of you who created Rosemund's fine teachers can tell me if I got the gist of them. If not, feel free to let me know!

If you see any mistakes, let me know and I'll fix 'em! Thanks! And now, on to the story!

* * *

><p>The home crowd went wild as the Bayville Hawks quarterback, Duncan Matthews, scored a touchdown, making the score forty-nine to seventeen, Bayville leading. A petite brunette jumped to her feet, whistling loudly and swaying her hips from side to side. The blond teen sitting next to her started laughing, nearly choking on the hotdog he was eating. After taking a gulp of his drink, he reached up to grab her wrist.<p>

"Chill, Inara," he said between chuckles. "Or all the trees might start dancing."

Her dark green eyes followed the direction his finger was pointing to find a solitary tree behind the scoreboard swaying like she had been seconds earlier. A sheepish grin stretched across her lips as she noticed the trees surrounding that one were completely stationary.

"Oops," she said in a light English accent, still grinning. "Think anybody noticed?"

"Nah," he replied without even glancing around. "They're too caught up in the game. Nacho?"

She gingerly took a cheese covered chip out of the box he was holding out to her. "Thanks. For the nacho and for letting me tag along."

"No problem," he told her with a grin as she stuffed the chip into her mouth before it could drip on her jeans. "It was worth it to see you at your first game of American football."

She nudged him playfully with her elbow before taking a sip of her own drink. She turned her attention back to the game, frowning after a few seconds. "Um, Alex?" she asked. Her companion turned to look at her with one eyebrow raised and two chips shoved in his mouth. She rolled her eyes, but pointed toward the field and went on, "Does the star player often disappear during the last few minutes of the game?"

He turned his attention to the field, quickly chewing his chips as he searched for the jersey bearing the number eleven. When he didn't find it, his bright green eyes sought out the pretty redhead Duncan was dating. He spotted her at the end of the bleachers farthest from the snack bar. Swallowing his chips, he said, "Not usually, but isn't that his girlfriend?"

Inara turned just in time to see a flash of red hair disappear under the bleachers. A frown pulled the corners of her mouth down. "That's odd. Jean Grey doesn't seem like the type of girl to make out under the bleachers."

Alex shrugged, holding the box of nachos out to her again. "Want another?"

"No thanks," she murmured with a small shake of her head. "I'm good."

Alex shrugged again before placing the box of nachos back on his lap and grabbing a couple. Inara turned her attention back to the game, but she wasn't entirely focused on it anymore. She was thinking about the few times she'd spoken to Jean Grey since she'd started attending Bayville High. The red head definitely had standards, and Inara was sure there was no way Duncan could get her to agree to a make out session under the bleachers.

The propane tank beside the snack bar suddenly exploded, catching the bleachers closest to it on fire. Alex, who had just taken a drink, spit the liquid out and dropped everything. Grabbing Inara's arm, he quickly stood up, pulling her up with him, and began dragging her toward the football field. She didn't protest, her eyes wide as they took in the flames engulfing the bleachers.

"What the," Alex murmured, his brow furrowed as he tried to make sense of what just happened. Someone must have called 9-1-1, because sirens could be heard in the distance. Turning to Inara, he noticed that her face was too pale. The girl usually had an all year round tan. He knew that her greatest fear was fires, though she'd never actually been in one in her life. "You okay?"

She blinked, slowly turning to look at him. Her eyes were a bit unfocused, but she nodded slowly. "Yeah," she breathed, turning back to look at the flames once more. "I think so."

"C'mon," he said, leading her toward the parking lot. "Let's head home before Jay comes rushing to the rescue." He was relieved when she giggled at his comment.

* * *

><p>Robin Latimer, a woman who stood at 5'4" and had a slender yet toned build, watched as people filed through the gate. Her hazel eyes searched for any sign of the teen girl she had been sent to pick up. She tucked a straight lock of light brown hair behind her ear, the ends tickling her earlobe. Although Crystal had described the girl to her, Robin still felt that holding a sign with the name 'Ailana Kalakaua' written on it was necessary.<p>

She knew the minute she saw the girl with straight, black hair cut just below the shoulders, brown eyes, and the obvious build of a surfer that that was Ailana. She put on her best smile and waved at the girl, catching her attention.

"Ailana Kalakaua?" she asked, despite knowing for sure this was her girl.

"Yeah. Are you Miss Latimer?" the girl asked, adjusting her duffel bag higher up on her shoulder.

"I am, but please call me Robin or Gadget. Here, let me get that for you," she said, taking the handle of the large suitcase Ailana was pulling behind her.

"Thanks," Ailana said as she followed Robin out of the airport. As they loaded her bags into the red Lincoln Navigator that Robin owned, Ailana asked, "How far is it to the academy?"

"Oh, it's a couple of hours," Robin told her. "But you can listen to any station you want. I don't mind."

Ailana nodded as she climbed into the passenger side of the vehicle. Robin started the vehicle and pulled out of the parking spot, heading for the large mansion the served as the Rosemund Academy.

* * *

><p>"Couldn't you have done that last night?" Alex asked, glancing at his watch.<p>

"Yeah right," Inara snorted as she carefully wrapped the sub sandwich she'd just finished making. "And have the veggies get soggy from sitting in the fridge all night? Not likely."

"We're gonna be late!" he groaned.

"Okay, okay! I'm done," she said, placing the sub in a paper bag. "Let's go."

"Alex, Inara, wait!" Crystal Rosemund called from the main living area. "Can you come here for a minute?"

"What's up, Miss Rosemund?" Alex asked as he walked into the room, Inara following close behind.

Crystal Rosemund was shorter than the both of them though only by two inches on Inara's part, and a bit plump. Her once light brown hair was now streaked through with gray and was always kept short and straight, barely reaching the tops of her ears. Her eyes were brown and filled with warmth and kindness.

There was a girl standing beside the armchair Crystal sat in that they had never seen before. Crystal smiled, motioning to the girl as she said, "I'd like you to meet Ailana Kalakaua."

"Inara," Inara said, introducing herself to Ailana. She held out her hand. "Welcome to Rosemund."

Ailana took the offered hand and gave it a firm shake. "Thanks," she said, giving the brunette a small smile. Turning to look at the blond, she said, "Guess that makes you Alex."

"Yeah, it does. Like Inara said, welcome to Rosemund." He glanced down at his watch again before looking back up at Crystal. "Uh, Miss Rosemund, is Ailana going to school today?"

"No, Alex. Ailana will simply be settling in today. Go on before you're late."

"Alright. Bye."

"Bye Miss Rosemund, bye Ailana!" Inara called as Alex pulled her out of the room.

They were stopped again at the front doors by a man who obviously kept up a rigorous exercise routine, if his lean, toned build was any indication. He wasn't much taller than Inara with short black hair and a matching thin mustache and goatee, both also short.

"Hey, Mr. Hideyoshi," Alex greeted with a grin. "Just headed off to school."

"Yes, I know, but first, I have something for you," Mr. Hideyoshi replied.

"Oh?" Alex questioned, looking surprised. It was no secret that Mr. Hideyoshi was a pretty cool guy outside of lessons, but he'd never really given his students gifts before. "What's that?"

"Well, it's not really for you," he said, pulling a dark green motorcycle helmet out from behind his back. "It's for Inara. So she doesn't have to wear yours."

Alex sighed. "But I don't really need a helmet. I have a healing factor."

"Yes, I know," Mr. Hideyoshi said. "But that does not make you indestructible. Now, I suggest you let Inara use this helmet, and you wear your own. Unless you would like extra training sessions?"

"No," Alex groaned. "Fine, I'll wear my helmet."

"Thanks, Mr. Hideyoshi," Inara said, beaming as she accepted the helmet from him and followed a slouching Alex out to the garage.

* * *

><p>A tall, thin man approached Crystal after she'd left Ailana to settle into her new bedroom. His sleek, black hair was kept short, except for the front which he wore spiked up. His bright blue eyes could be seen through the lenses of his glasses.<p>

"Ah, Hunter," she greeted, the wrinkles around her lips deepening as she smiled. "Is there something I can help you with?"

"A young mutant girl will be arriving in Bayville early tomorrow morning. Unfortunately, I have foreseen that she accepts the offer of another."

"I see," Crystal murmured. "Is there anything else?"

"Yes. A young man who lives in Seattle, Washington. His power will manifest in a week's time. He will accept our offer to help."

"Get together with Jay and Ava when they return from their classes," she told him. "Tell them what you have seen and what you feel is the best way to handle the situation."

Hunter nodded before turning and heading off down the hall.

* * *

><p>"Do you think it was a mutant?" Alex asked Inara as he sat down at the lunch table she was seated at, his tray piled high with food.<p>

"I don't see how it couldn't be," Inara replied, unwrapping her sub. "I mean, we both agree that we saw the flash of red, and Miss Rosemund's told us that there are other mutants in Bayville."

"But if she knows there are others, why doesn't she help them? Or at least tell us who they are?"

"There's a good chance she doesn't really know. That's why she built Gavin after all. To enhance her powers in the hopes of finding more mutants who need help."

"What about Mr. Burden?"

"Mr. Burden doesn't see everything, Alex. Even when using Gavin, his visions are limited. We'll just have to do some investigating of our own."

Alex slowly swallowed the bite of hamburger he'd been chewing while Inara talked. "What do you mean?"

"Well, Duncan and Jean were under the bleachers when that tank exploded, right?" When Alex nodded, not being able to talk around the bite of burger he'd just taken, she went on. "So maybe it's one of them. I'll see if I can't catch Jean in the halls later on."

"I'm not talking to Duncan Matthews," Alex told her with a grimace after swallowing. "That guy's a jerk."

"Then eavesdrop on him and his buddies in the locker room or something," Inara offered. "If he's not the mutant, maybe he remembers seeing something."

"I'll see what I can do," Alex sighed.

"Great! Now, how about we enjoy the rest of our lunch?"

Alex's eyes lit up as his attention turned back to the pile of food on his tray, and Inara couldn't help laughing.

* * *

><p>"Jean!" Inara called as she slammed her locker closed. The redhead was at the other end of the hall and didn't seem to have heard the brunette. Inara slung her book bag over her shoulder and started jogging down the hall, squeezing between bodies and muttering 'excuse me's along the way. "Jean!" she called again, louder this time.<p>

The redhead stopped and spun around, one eyebrow arched. Upon spotting Inara's approaching form, a small frown of confusion tugged the corners of her mouth downward. Though she knew her name, she hadn't ever really talked to the younger girl. "Oh, uh, hey, Inara. What's up?"

"Well, I was just wondering if you saw anything strange last night at the game. You know, when that propane tank exploded."

Jean put on her best clueless face, but inside she was starting to worry. "What do you mean by strange?"

"Like a flash of red light," Inara pressed. "Because I swear I saw something like that. At first, I brushed it off, but then Alex told me he saw it, too."

Jean shook her head and smiled down at Inara, hoping she looked convincing. "Sorry, Inara, but I didn't see anything like that." Glancing through the window in the door behind her, she was internally relieved to see Scott sitting in his car, waiting for her. "I'd better go. Scott's waiting."

"Oh, okay," Inara replied, though Jean was already heading out of the door. She sent Inara a wave and a smile, which the brunette returned, before turning her back on the school and jogging toward the red and white convertible.

Inara pursed her lips together in thought as she exited the school and headed for Alex's motorcycle. She wasn't surprised to find him already there, waiting for her.

"So?" he asked, glancing toward to departing car that held Jean.

"Nothing," she told him, though she didn't sound disappointed. "You?"

"I did manage to eavesdrop on a couple of football players during last period," he replied. "Turns out Duncan can't remember anything after that last touchdown he made."

"Hmm," she murmured, but once again didn't sound the least bit disappointed.

"Okay, why aren't you disappointed? I mean, we didn't find out anything!"

"On the contrary," she said, looking up at him. "I think I did. Come on," she paused to pick up her helmet. "Let's get home and I'll explain everything."

* * *

><p>"You know those kids from the academy across town?" Jean asked Scott outside of the Danger Room. "Alex and Inara?"<p>

"Yeah," he told her, pulling out his boots.

"Well, Inara came up to me after school today," she began, concern creeping into her voice. "She asked me if I had seen anything weird last night. You know, at the game."

"Oh?" his tone indicated that he didn't seem too worried about the subject.

"Yeah. She said that she and Alex both saw a flash of red before the explosion. She wanted to know if I saw it, too."

Scott froze and slowly turned his head to look at her. "Did she mention me?"

"No," she said with a shake of her head. "And I got away before she could really drill me, but she suspects something."

Scott nodded as he start to pull on his left boot. "Alright, we'll have to watch ourselves around them."

"Right," Jean agreed, right before the Professor's voice came over the intercom.

"Scott! Jean! Nightcrawler and Toad have teleported into the Danger Room!"

"Aww, man, the Danger Room has automated defenses!" Scott voiced.

"It'll attack them with everything it's got!" Jean exclaimed, darting around Scott and heading for the Danger Room entrance.

"Get in there. Now!" the Professor called over the intercom. Scott grabbed his right boot and began pulling it on as he hopped on his left leg after Jean.

* * *

><p>"So what did you find out?" Alex asked after pulling his helmet off.<p>

"Jean told me she had to go before I could really begin to question her. I knew she was just looking for a way out, but then she said 'Scott's waiting', and she headed for his car."

"And?" Alex asked, looking perplexed. "You ride to school with me."

"Because we live together," she exclaimed, her eyes lighting up. "Don't you see? Jean lives with Scott! At the Xavier Institute!"

Understanding dawned in his eyes. "Oh!"

"Duncan's just Jean's boyfriend. I don't think he's a mutant at all. But Scott definitely could be! I mean, he's always wearing those red shades. What if he can't control his power?"

"That's true," Alex mused. "I've never seen him without those shades. And I've never seen shades like them before." He paused here, seemingly to think about all that had been said. Then he looked up at Inara. "So, what's our next step?"

Inara looked around, as if expecting someone to appear out of nowhere and catch them scheming. "We should keep this between us. No reason to get everyone excited if we're wrong. Meanwhile, we can keep an eye on Scott and Jean. See if they give us some concrete proof."

"Sounds good," Alex said nodding. Then he rubbed his stomach with one hand. "Now time for an after school snack."

Inara laughed out loud as she followed him into the kitchen.

* * *

><p>Okay, so let me know how the first chapter went! I think I 'talked' enough at the beginning, so this is all I'm saying down here.<p> 


	2. The X Impulse

Whoo! Sorry it took so long, guys! My computer's out of commission right now, so I'm working in hour intervals at the public library. For those of you reading both my stories, the next chapter of As They Seem is halfway written.

I've added a bit of Crystal's background, and I've hinted at some of the differences between Rosemund's and Xavier's.

Hope I didn't butcher anyone's character! As always, let me know if there are any mistakes, and I'll get 'em fixed.

* * *

><p>"Why don't we just get our own plane?" the brunette young man sitting beside Hunter muttered. "I mean, Miss Rosemund has the money, right?"<p>

Hunter arched an eyebrow as he turned to look at his traveling companion. "We'd need both a pilot and a hangar in order to have our own plane, and we have neither."

The young man snorted. "I bet Miss Latimer could pilot a plane. It's a machine, after all. And don't airports have hangars you can rent out?"

"I'm sure that Crystal has her reasons for not owning a private plane, Jay," Hunter replied before returning to his book.

Jay huffed and turned his azure blue eyes toward the little window he sat beside, muttering something about wishing he'd had classes today. He slid his headphones into place over his ears, his head soon bobbing to the beats of his favorite songs.

* * *

><p>"Jean's not at school today," Ailana informed Alex and Inara as she sat down at the lunch table they were occupying.<p>

"During midterms?" Inara asked, a frown forming on her lips.

"Man," Alex mumbled around the two ketchup covered fries he'd just stuffed into his mouth. He swallowed before continuing. "Miss Rosemund would never let us miss mid terms unless we were on our deathbeds."

"Yeah," Inara sighed. "A shame if you ask me."

"Your math midterm not go well?" Ailana asked.

"I don't think I failed, but I was the last person to finish," she told them. "And Kurt came in late!"

Alex grinned. "Well, at least you know you'll ace your English midterm."

Inara giggled, nodding as she said, "Too true."

"And just think," Ailana added, her voice full of fake cheer, "after school we get to go home and train!"

"Midterms and training?" Alex said, voice filled with the same fake cheerfulness. "Man, it's our lucky day!"

"Without a doubt," Inara added with a playful grin. The three of them all broke into fits of laughter at the same time, earning them curious and concerned stares from the students closest to their table.

* * *

><p>"So where to?" Jay asked as he followed Hunter out of the airport.<p>

Hunter moved off to the side of the building, making sure he wasn't in anyone's way. He concentrated on the boy they were looking for, willing a vision to provide him with the boy's immediate location. Jay watched as Hunter's eyes shifted out of focus for a few seconds before returning to normal.

"He'll be at a small park in approximately ten minutes," Hunter told Jay, moving to grab the available taxi sitting on the curb a few feet from them.

Jay frowned as he quickly followed Hunter. "A small park? On a school day?"

Hunter nodded, conveying the name of the park to the cab driver before replying, "From what I saw, I have determined that he's running away."

Jay frowned and crossed his arms as he leaned back in his seat, wondering what had happened to cause the boy to run away.

* * *

><p>"Alright, Inara," Crystal began as she led the teen into the greenhouse. "I've hidden ten plants in here that are in need of your assistance. Using your powers, I'd like for you to try and locate those plants."<p>

A frown formed on Inara's lips as she turned to look at Crystal. "But I've never done that before."

"I know," Crystal said with a nod. "Just give it a try."

Inara nodded hesitantly as she turned her attention back to the room full of plants. Closing her eyes, she reached out with her powers and gently brushed against each plant one by one. She gasped when she felt the wilting life-force of a young fern in the front right corner of the greenhouse.

"There's a dying fern in the corner," she said, a hint of excitement in her voice.

"Concentrate, Inara," Crystal encouraged gently. "Restore the fern and then move on. Remember, there are ten plants that need your help."

Inara nodded once before focusing all her attention on restoring life to the fern.

* * *

><p>"I want you to try something new today," Tokugawa told Alex as he led him into the gym. "Because your body converts energy from your caloric intake, I believe you should be able to use said energy to enhance your body's resistance, strength, and possibly even speed."<p>

Alex blinked. "Are you sure, Mr. Hideyoshi?"

Tokugawa nodded as he moved to stand in front of Alex. "I am. Now, instead of directing the energy to your hands, I want you to try and spread it equally throughout your body."

"Okay," Alex said, sounding a bit unsure. He closed his eyes, focusing on the raw energy he could feel flowing through him. It immediately flowed toward his hands, and his brow furrowed in concentration as he willed it to stop.

Tokugawa saw the faint glow of green energy forming around Alex's hands, but remained silent as he continued to watch the teen. Slowly, the glow around his hands started to spread, and in a matter of five minutes, it had covered his entire body.

"Very good, Alex," Tokugawa said.

Alex opened his eyes, which were now an even brighter green than normal. Looking down at the soft green glow that surrounded him, he breathed out an astonished, "Whoa."

"Can you sustain it long enough to test its limitations?"

"I think so," Alex replied with a nod.

"Very well," Tokugawa said. He moved to stand behind the punching bag hanging from the ceiling. "Let's start with testing your strength."

Alex nodded as he moved to stand closer to the punching bag, slipping into a boxing stance.

* * *

><p>Ailana followed Robin out of the back door and into the large, enclosed back yard. The fifteen foot high, concrete wall kept passersby from witnessing outside training sessions. A medium sized, circular target made of metal stood in an open clearing to the right of a small cluster of trees.<p>

"We're going to continue with you trying to increase the force behind your blasts," Robin told Ailana as they stopped five feet from the target. "Remember, put as much force behind each blast as you can by increasing the temperature of the air around you."

Ailana nodded as she lifted her hands, feeling the air around her hands warming up rapidly. Using her right hand, she shot an invisible blast of heat at the target. When the bull's eye in the center failed to turn a bright red, Ailana frowned. She willed the heat around her left hand to increase as much as she could before sending another blast at the target.

"You're starting to get it!" Robin encouraged when the bull's eye turned a soft pink. "Try again."

Ailana took a deep breath before stretching her hands toward the target once more.

* * *

><p>Upon arriving at the park, Hunter led Jay over to a small grouping of trees, where a young man sat on a solitary wooden bench.<p>

"James Smith?" Hunter asked, stopping a few feet from the bench.

The black haired teen stiffened as he lifted his head, studying them with dark green eyes. "It depends," he replied.

"My name is Hunter Burden," Hunter said. "I'm an instructor at the Rosemund Academy, where we can help you learn to control your power."

Worry and suspicion flash across the teen's face, but he quickly regains his calm composure. "What do you mean?"

"My power is Prophetic Sight, which allows me to see glimpses of the future. A week ago, I had a vision of a young man walking home from the movies. This young man was approached by a man who wished to mug him. When the young man was shoved, a shadowy figure appeared and fought off the mugger. Through the use of a device we have at the academy, and help from the academy's founder, I was able to figure out your name and residence."

James took all this in, and though his face remained calm and collected, a number of different emotions flashed through his eyes. "And you think you can help me learn control?"

Hunter smiled and gestured to Jay. "This is James McRae, though he prefers Jay. When he first came to the academy, his power was a danger to himself and others. He creates and controls an unnatural black fire that sometimes produces toxic smoke. He's been at the Academy for two years now. He has built immunity to the toxin in the smoke, learned how to keep the toxic levels of his fires low as to not affect his teammates, and can now take on a flame-form." He turned to Jay and said, "A demonstration, please."

"Piece of cake," Jay said with a grin as he extended his hand. With what seemed to be no effort, a small, black flame appeared in Jay's palm. It quickly took on the form of a small owl, hopping around Jay's hand for a few minutes, before the flame extinguished itself.

James had watched Jay with the same calm expression he'd worn throughout the conversation, but his eyes were locked onto Jay's hand with a light awe. After a few minutes, he gaze moved to lock with Hunter's. "I don't have any money," he said.

Hunter shook his head, his smile widening. "We weren't going to ask for any. I assure you that Rosemund has enough funds to support you and several others. We simply wish to help you learn control. You will have your own room and will be assigned certain chores for which you will earn an allowance."

James considered the offer, studying the older man for signs that he may be lying. Finally, he nodded and stood up, pulling a duffle bag out from under the bench. "Okay."

* * *

><p>Alex burst into the kitchen, his stomach grumbling loudly. He plopped down in the chair beside Ailana, who had grown used to his large appetite and therefore rushed entrances into the kitchen over the past week. Inara quickly filled another plate and set it gently in front of him before moving to get him something to drink.<p>

"I love this stuff!" Alex exclaimed before he started shoveling food into his mouth.

Ailana merely shook her head, a small smile playing on her lips as she asked, "What's it called again?"

"Macaroni Béchamel," Inara answered as she set Alex's drink down beside his plate. He paused in his devouring of the noodle dish just long enough to take a drink of his soda. "It's the Egyptian version of Greek pastitsio. My mum taught me how to make it."

"It's pretty good," Ailana said before taking another bite.

"Thanks!" Inara beamed as she sat down across from Alex with her own plate and glass.

"I've been thinking about our investigation," Ailana said as Alex got up to help himself to seconds. Inara looked up at Ailana, one eyebrow arched in question. Alex glanced curiously at Ailana, but continued eating. Ailana went on, "I think we should just drop it all together. Why not just befriend the Xavier kids?"

Alex blinked, swallowing a bit before saying, "You know, I've been thinking the same thing lately."

They both turned to Inara, who grinned. "So have I, to be truthful. I mean, we get along with them well enough, when we're not trying to prove they're mutants."

"And if they are mutants, then hey, we'd have found kindred spirits," Ailana said with a shrug of her shoulders.

"So it's agreed?" Alex asked. "We're going to drop our investigation and just be not-so-normal teens trying to make some friends?"

Both girls smiled and nodded, saying in unison, "Agreed."

"Alright!" Alex said, beaming. "Now I can get back to eating!"

Both girls laughed before returning their attention back to their own plates.

* * *

><p>Crystal entered the small office that held the computer she called Gavin, two plates balanced on one arm and a drink in each hand. Robin was emersed in a conversation with Gavin, or so it looked to Crystal. Hoping she didn't startled the technopath too bad, she said, "I've brought you something to eat, Robin."<p>

Robin did jump, but only slightly. "Oh," she said, studying the noodle dish on the plates as she moved toward Crystal. "Thanks," she said, smiling as she accepted a plate and cup.

"It's Inara's Macaroni Béchamel," Crystal replied as she settled into the plush, black leather chair that Robin had rolled away from Gavin's console.

"Mmm," Robin moaned after taking a bite. "Just as good as the last time she made it." Crystal nodded as she took a bite. Robin cocked her head to the side, sending a curious look in Crystal's direction. "I've always wondered," she began, causing Crystal to look over at her, "why you named this system Gavin?"

Some of the light faded from Crystal's eyes as a sad smile stretched across her lips. "Gavin was my fiance back in college. He was the first person I ever revealed my gifts to, and he loved me more for them. It was actually him that helped me overcome the fear of adversity."

Robin's fork hung in midair between her plate and her mouth, somewhat enthralled by Crystal's explaination. "So, what happened?"

Crystal's eyes darkened, and Robin feared she'd gone too far in her questioning. She was just about to apologize and tell Crystal to forget she ever asked when Crystal spoke softly, "I killed him."

Robin blinked, not sure she'd heard correctly. "I'm sorry, what?"

Crystal sighed before launching into the tale. "We were at one of his favorite bars, playing pool with his friend, Cory, and Cory's wife, Evelyn. The place was packed, and I could feel everyone's emotions flowing through me, but it wasn't something I couldn't handle. We were halfway through our third game when I was hit with an intense anger. I closed my eyes tight, trying to find a balance, but it was too much. I tried to block it out, but I unintentionally pushed it back to its source, doubling the irate man's feelings. He pulled out a gun and just started shooting. One of the bullets hit Gavin."

"Oh, Crystal," Robin said, tears spilling over her eye lids and down her cheeks. "I-I'm sorry."

Crystal shook her head, wiping underneath her eyes with one hand. She shook her head, smiling a little. "It's okay. It was that night that made me decide to open this place. To help others learn control, so that what happened to me wouldn't happen to them."

Robin nodded her understanding, turning her attention back to her plate, but she didn't feel much like eating. Sneaking a glance at Crystal, she noticed the older woman slowly, but surely, clearing her plate. With a determined air, she turned back to her own plate and lifted her fork to her lips.

* * *

><p>Mystique stepped out of the limo and held the door open for the teen she'd just recruited. The tall brunette boy stepped out behind her, studying the run down, Victorian style house with one eyebrow arched over dark brown eyes. He finally shrugged, deciding the place wasn't as bad as the foster home he'd been living in, and trudged up the walkway to the door.<p>

"Toad! Phantom!" Mystique hollered as she stepped into the poorly taken care of living room.

A younger boy hopped down the stairs in a hurry, his yellow eyes wide with fear and his light brown hair so dirty it almost looked gray. The brunette teen wrinkled his nose at the smell coming from the other boy. It was like he hadn't taken a bath in months! A girl made her way down the steps at a slow pace, shoulder length, raven black curls swaying lightly with each step. Guarded violet eyes took in the brunette beside Mystique as she came to a stop at the foot of the stairs, leaning against the railing.

"This is the newest member of the Brotherhood," Mystique informed them, gesturing to the older boy. "Avalanche."

"Uh, hey," the smelly teen greeted timidly from where he sat crouched on the ground. "Name's Todd, but, uh, everyone just calls me Toad, ya know?"

Brown eyes studied Todd for a minute, curiosity causing them to look a bit lighter than when he'd first stepped over the threshold. "Lance," he said simply, not bothering to offer his hand.

Todd smiled nervously before his eyes widened, as if he remembered something suddenly. "And, uh, this is Emily," he told Lance, nodding his head in the girl's direction.

"Hey," Lance said, giving Emily a nod in greeting.

"Hey," she said back, her arms crossed over her stomach.

"Toad will show you to one of the empty rooms," Mystique said as she turned to head for the door. With her hand on the doorknob, she sent a fierce glare at each of them. "And clean up!"

Todd flinched as the door slammed shut. With Mystique no longer in the room, his eyes filled with false arrogance. "Don't mind her, yo. She's always like that. Come on, rooms are upstairs."

Lance sent one last glance toward the door, wondering what exactly he'd gotten himself into, before following Todd up the stairs.

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><p>Let me know what you think! Til next time!<p> 


	3. Rogue Recruit

Hi, guys! I bet you all thought I was either dead or that this story was dead! Well, surprise! Neither is true! And I'm back with the third chapter!

lordoftoast - Glad you enjoyed the training regime for Rosemund's students. And Augustus will be coming in the next chapter!

Haretrigger - Yes, she's an Empath. And her secondary power was mentioned in this chapter. Glad you like the differences between Rosemund's and Xavier's, and the back story behind Gavin. There's a hint at Crystal's life before her powers in this chapter.

4everablackrose - Glad you're enjoying it! And as requested, Bridget is introduced this chapter! If you have a physician in mind, definitely PM me. I have one option as of right now, but I like having choices.

bettycrocker540 - Thanks! I hope this chapter is as good as the last!

BitchAmI - Thanks! I hope you keep reading and enjoy!

A-Rog - I'm really glad you like the humor! I thought it suited him!

HokkaidoMaster - Here's more! And you definitely have permission to adapt Alex in Redux! Good to know I'm not butchering Hunter! I love his character!

To others who have read and not reviewed, thanks for reading!

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><p>Kyle led her out to the car, where Robert was loading two large suitcases into the trunk. A cold nose pressed itself against the palm of her hand, slowly guiding it to the door handle. She pulled the front, passenger side door open and ran her hand along the top of the car until she found where it connected with the frame. She carefully slid into the passenger seat, feeling her way as she went. Once she was comfortably settled, Kyle carefully climbed into the spacious floor board and laid his head on her lap. She reached out, her fingers closing around the door handle after seconds of searching for it, and pulled the door closed.<p>

"Ready?" her brother asked as he slid into the driver's seat.

She turned her face toward the sound of his voice and nodded. "A little nervous, but yeah, I'm ready."

Robert chuckled as he started the car. "Relax, Bridge," he replied as he pulled out of the driveway. "I'm sure you'll become friends with the other students faster than you think. After all, you're way too nice to be disliked."

Bridget crossed her arms and replied with a dry, "Ha, ha! Very funny," but she was grinning. She knew he was referring to the fact that she had a hard time saying no to others.

Robert laughed fully now and reached over to pat her knee. "I'm just teasing, sis. You'll fit in just fine."

Her smile wavered a little as she turned her face away from him. Reaching down, she gently stroked the top of Kyle's head. She didn't want Robert knowing how worried she really was. After all, she wasn't simply a blind teenage girl. She was a blind teenage girl who just happened to be a mutant.

* * *

><p>"Alex," Inara chimed, plopping down on the plush couch beside the blond teen. "Have I told you lately how much I adore you?"<p>

Alex felt his cheeks heat up, but he managed to give the brunette an exasperated look "What do you want, Inara?"

She smiled, her wide, dark green eyes sparkling as she replied, "Would you be willing to give me a ride somewhere?"

"We're not allowed to go anywhere until after the new kid gets here," he told her, turning back to the action packed movie he'd been watching before she showed up. "But if it's not too late, I'll take you wherever you want to go after we meet her."

"Thanks, Alex, you're the best!" she exclaimed, kissing him on the cheek before hopping off of the couch and bounding out of the room.

Alex stuttered and stumbled over words, not able to form anything coherent until Inara had been gone for a good five minutes. James, who had witnessed the whole incident from where he sat in one of the armchairs, arched a curious eyebrow.

"Yeah, yeah, I know," Alex muttered, sinking as low on the couch as he could.

James turned his attention back to the television without commenting, confident that his new housemate would appreciate his silence.

* * *

><p>Todd was crouched on the back of the couch, a bowl of popcorn held suspended between his knees. His only companion was Annastasia Rija, a brunette teen Mystique had dropped off the day after Lance had arrived. She was tall and skinny, though she had some muscle. Her dark brown hair, which fell to the small of her back, contrasted greatly with the light dusting of white fur that covered her body. This was not where her unique traits ceased, how, as she had wolf ears atop her head, elongated canines, and a long, sleek tail. She sat at the opposite end of the couch, her own bowl full of popcorn nestled in her lap.<p>

Lance moved into the living room from the kitchen, tearing into a bologna sandwich. He swallowed the bite of sandwich he'd just taken, his brown eyes focused on the television screen. "Are you watching Disney movies?"

"Yep," Annastasia replied, sending one quick nod in his direction.

"Nothing else on, yo," Todd chimed in with a shrug.

Lance shook his head as he turned toward the stairs. Damion Blake, a tall, dark haired teen Mystique had recruited two days earlier, passed him on his way up. After reaching the top of the stairs, he headed for his bedroom. His free hand was on the door knob, when he heard shouts coming from the last room at the end of the hall.

"You were supposed to take precautions!" A pause, and then, "Fine, I'm coming down."

Lance turned the knob and opened the door to his room just as the door to the far room was thrown open. Mystique stormed past him, not even bothering to acknowledge his presence. He arched an eyebrow as he watched her disappear down the stairs before stepping into his room and shutting the door behind him.

* * *

><p>Crystal stood at the top of the front steps, watching a sleek, black sedan pull into the drive. It came to a stop in front of the steps, the driver side door swinging open to reveal a tall, lean brunette man. Seconds later, the passenger door opened and a short, slim blonde stepped out after a golden retriever.<p>

"You must be Robert and Bridget Hudson," Crystal stated with a warm smile.

"That's us," Robert confirmed as he started pulling two suitcases out of the now open trunk. "And you're Miss Rosemund."

"Please, call me Crystal," she said as she made her way down the steps. "Welcome to Rosemund Academy." As she got closer to Bridget, she felt anxiety radiating from the teen, but she remained silent, thinking it best wait until Robert's departure before mentioning it.

"Thanks for accepting me, Miss Rosemund," Bridget said, pushing the shades that hid her foggy brown eyes from sight further up her nose.

"It was my pleasure, Bridget," Crystal responded as she grabbed one of the suitcases. "If you'll follow me, I'll show you to your room. Then I'll introduce you both to the faculty and the other students."

"Sounds great," Robert said as he grabbed the other suitcase. "Right, Bridget?"

"Yeah," Bridget said, doing her best to cover up her anxiety. While she was able to keep it out of her voice, she wasn't able to hide it from Crystal.

"Trust me," Crystal told her in a reassuring tone, "you'll fit in quite well here."

Bridget didn't reply as she followed Crystal and her brother into the mansion. Upon entering the foyer, Robert looked around in wonder. While he and Bridget came from a fairly wealthy family, the sheer size and grander of the building he was in now amazed him. Apparently, Crystal Rosemund was much wealthier than his family ever dreamed of being.

Crystal was glad she was a few steps ahead of the siblings as she felt her cheeks heating up. She knew the mansion's design was evidence that the girl she'd been before her powers had developed was still in her somewhere. The girl that wouldn't have given Gavin Lexington the time of day. She shook her head, clearing her mind of those thoughts as she led the siblings upstairs.

"Here we are," she said, stopping in front of the last door on the right. "You have your own bathroom, so you don't have to worry about sharing." She opened the door and set the suitcase she was carrying just inside. "I'll let you get settled in. When you're ready, everyone will be waiting in the dining room to meet you. It'll be the first door on your right upon reaching the first floor."

Robert carried the other suitcase into the room as Crystal made her way back down the stairs. "This place is great, Bridge," he said as Kyle led Bridget over to the plush, queen size bed. "I think you're going to like it here."

Bridget sat on the edge of the bed while Kyle acquainted himself with the layout of the room. Robert was running a hand over the mahogany dresser when a vibration moved through the wood, reaching his fingers. Bridget gasped, suddenly seeing every piece of furniture in the room in a dazzling ripple of burnt orange light. Robert couldn't help laughing.

"Looks like they've customized the room for you!"

"Yeah," Bridget breathed, a smile spreading across her lips. Her anxiety slow started to dissipate. "I think you're right. I think I am going to like it here."

* * *

><p>Lance sat on his bed, guitar resting on his lap as he gently strummed a tune he knew by heart. The door to the room opened, causing him to stop strumming and look up. A tall teen with dark brown hair stood in the doorway.<p>

"Emily made hamburgers for dinner. She asked me to come let you know."

"Thanks, Damion," he said, carefully setting the guitar down beside his bed and standing up. "Todd and Annastasia take a break from Disney to eat?"

Damion shook his head, his short, slightly wavy hair moving with the motion. "No, they've been sucked in. They quickly made their burgers during a commercial break and are back in front of the TV."

Lance couldn't help chuckling. "I still can't get over it. Two members of the Brotherhood of mutants watching Disney. That'll terrify our enemies."

Damion chuckled a little. "While it might not strike fear into the hearts of those who oppose us, I think it's good for Todd and Annastasia. I grew up in a military family, so I didn't get much time to be a kid."

"Yeah, you're probably right. And hey, at least it's not Grease."

"Amen to that," Damion muttered as they passed through the living room and into the kitchen.

* * *

><p>"Why exactly did you want to come here?" Alex asked incredulously, glancing over at Inara. "And why did we have to park the bike two blocks away?"<p>

"Quiet down," she responded in a hushed tone, crouching behind some bushes across the street from a large, Victorian style house. In the same hushed tone, she answered both of his questions. "We're here because there's something strange about that Lance Alvers guy. And we had to park the bike two blocks away as to not draw attention to ourselves."

Alex arched an eyebrow as he glanced over at the petite brunette. "So we're spying because you have a crush?"

She gave a very unladylike snort, not something she did often. "I do not have a crush."

"Right," he murmured in a disbelieving tone.

"I'm serious," she whispered. "It's not a crush, though I can't deny that I feel strangely connected to him. Like I know him somehow."

"But you'd never been to the States before joining the academy," Alex whispered back. "And I'd be willing to bet all my allowance that Lance Alvers has never been to London or Egypt."

"Exactly," she whispered, watching as a sleek, black limo pulled up to the house.

A teen dressed almost entirely in black, the only exception being the green mesh top she wore over a black tank top, exited the limo. But it was the fierce looking brunette woman who exited the limo after the girl that caught the attention of the two hidden teens.

"That's Principal Darkholme!" Inara hissed, her eyes widening in surprise.

Alex was way more interested in what was going at the boarding house now. "What's she doing here?"

"I don't know," Inara murmured. She quickly looked around, making sure there were no other cars on the road. "But we're going to find out. Come on!"

She quickly darted across the street, Alex right behind her. Once they reached the large front lawn of the boarding house, they crouched down and snuck toward an open window with a large bush conveniently positioned directly under it. Inara raised one hand, using her abilities to insure that the bush would keep them hidden while they peeked in the window.

They watched as Principal Darkholme closed the door behind her before her features began to change. Her brown hair turned red and grew to reach her shoulders. Her eyes went from being a normal dark brown to a not so normal yellow. Her skin slowly turned blue, and the conservative suit she wore during school hours transformed into a revealing white dress.

Inara quickly covered her mouth with her free hand, stifling the gasp that threatened to escape her lips. Alex grabbed her gently by the elbow and tugged her away from the window. Making sure the coast was clear, they darted back across the street and into the bushes they had vacated minutes ago.

"Principal Darkholme is a mutant?" Inara hissed, a headache starting to manifest near her right temple as her mind raced to make sense of it all.

"Looks like it," Alex said, glancing nervously toward the boarding house. When no one emerged from the house, he relaxed, hoping that meant that they hadn't been detected. "Come on, let's get back to the academy."

Inara nodded and followed him as he headed for the small convenient store where they'd left his bike, her mind still processing what she had just seen.

* * *

><p>"So our principal is a mutant, too," Ailana said after Alex and Inara informed everyone of what they had discovered. "That's a good thing, right?"<p>

"It has yet to be determined if this is good or bad," Tokugawa spoke up. "We do not know what her intentions are."

"He's right," Hunter said. "I'll continue to try and see what she may be up to."

"In the mean time," Crystal said, "I'll see what I can get from her when I enroll Bridget on Monday. It is safe to assume that her charges are also mutants, but until we know more, I believe our best bet would be to keep this to ourselves." The teens agreed, some a bit reluctantly, and Crystal added, "Now, you should all get some sleep."

"Did you know?" Robin asked Crystal once the students had headed off to bed.

"I admit it's not much of a surprise. I've been sensing others like us in Bayville for some time now, but I couldn't pin point who they were."

"Robin," Hunter began, turning toward the techno path, "Would you be able to modify Gavin to enhance my abilities as well?"

Robin thought about it for a minute before nodding. "I'm sure I can."

"Get started on it right away, please," he requested. "Perhaps I can determine what her plans for the future are with Gavin's assistance."

Robin nodded again. "You got it."

"We might as well try and get some sleep ourselves," Crystal said with a sigh. "I have a feeling things are about to get complicated."

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><p>Let me know how I did! Constructive criticism is welcome, but please, no outright flames!<p> 


	4. Mutant Crush

Another chapter up! Woot! Was expecting to have it up a lot sooner than this, but life got in the way. Let me start by responding to some reviews!

4everablackrose - I'm glad you loved it! Hope I'm doing okay with Bridget! Gave her a special little treat in this chapter. Let me know what you think about it!

Random Kat - Glad you liked the last chapter! Hopefully you'll like this one, too. Also glad you liked the change of pace! And I will be shortening Annastasia's name to Annie within the next few chapters. Just want to get everyone sort of established first.

HokkaidoMaster - Lol, okay, so maybe I only caught on to her secondary power because, well, I know what is it. On top of being an empath, Crystal can also sense the mutant gene in others. I tried to get that across when Robin asked her if she knew and she replied that she'd been 'sensing others like us', referring to other mutants. But maybe it was easy for me to see the connection because I already knew. -Shrugs.- Not sure, but sorry for the confusion!

bettycrocker540 - No, I did not die! But my computer did, so I had to wait for a replacement. Which meant saving up the money for said replacement. But, yes, I'm back!

lordoftoast - Honestly, I didn't expect them to find out about Mystique, either. It just sort of came out while I was writing the chapter. I originally planned for Annastasia to be the one to reveal the Brotherhood as mutants.

Haretrigger - Oh, so many questions! I will answer them all as best I can without giving anything away! First, as for the connection Inara may have with Lance, it will most definitely be explored! It's a little twist I thought of during a RP session. Next, the deal with knowing about Mystique. As previously mentioned, this was not my original design. But when it just sort of came out that way, I figured why not? After all, the Xavier kids know there's a good side and a bad side. All the Rosemund gang knows is that there are mutants and humans. For now, as was expressed in the last chapter, they will keep this bit of information to themselves. Next, on the issue of Crystal's secondary power, see above response to HokkaidoMaster's review! Last, I'm glad you like the way I'm slipping in the characters little quirks! I love that they have such good ones! I know we haven't been seeing much of the faculty and Jay and Ava, but after the next chapter, 'Speed and Spyke', I believe all the main OCs will be brought in. Then I can guarantee that we will see more of the others!

Okay, so now that that's done, enjoy chapter four! Also, just a warning, I will be deleting the OC Form and Final Decisions chapters before posting the next chapter.

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><p>Ava's shiny, silver convertible pulled up in front of Bayville High and James, Ailana, and Bridget climbed out. A few of the senior boys stopped to admire not only the car, but the young woman driving it as well. Ava smirked and blew them a kiss as she sped off, her long, mocha hair fanning out behind her, the amaranth streaks accentuated in the sunlight.<p>

"She enjoys that way too much," Ailana muttered, shaking her head.

"Hey, guys!" Alex called, waving to them form the front steps where he and Inara were waiting.

As Bridget followed her friends toward the front steps of the school, the small device Robin had installed in the soles of her shoes sent vibrations through the ground, lighting stationary objects in her path in the rippling, burnt orange light she was used to.

"Ready for some English Lit., Bridge?" Alex asked as they entered the school.

"As ready as I'll ever be," she replied with a grin. She loved the fact that none of her housemates treated her different due to her blindness. As she followed Alex down the hall toward their first period class, she called back, "Catch you in French, Inara!"

"I'm off to European History," James said, not sounding too thrilled about his first class of the day.

"See you at lunch," Inara called after him as he headed off down the hallway. His response was a quick wave of his hand over his shoulder. Turning, she headed in the opposite direction, Ailana walking beside her.

"Did you finish your math homework?" Ailana asked.

"Just barely," Inara groaned. "And it was only because Kurt let me borrow his notes."

"Maybe if you took your own notes, you wouldn't have to borrow Kurt's," Ailana teased with a grin.

"I know!" Inara huffed. "But math is so, so… infuriating! I just can't seem to bring myself to pay attention in class."

Ailana laughed. "Right. I forgot about your love-hate relationship with the subject." She stopped outside of her first period class. "See you in gym."

"Alright," Inara said with a nod, heading for her math class. Upon entering the classroom, she quickly made her way to where she sat beside Kurt. Pulling the notes he'd let her borrow out of her book bag, she held them out to him. "Thanks for letting me borrow these."

"No problem," he replied in his German accent, smiling. "Any time."

As the teacher entered the room, they both turned to face the board, though only Kurt was paying attention. As usual, Inara drifted off into her own little world the moment the teacher started talking about the day's lesson.

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><p>"Hey, Crystal," Robin called, knocking lightly on the open door of her boss's office.<p>

"Yes?" the older lady asked, looking up from the paper work she was going over.

"I just wanted to let you know that I need to shut Gavin down to finish the upgrade Hunter asked for."

"Alright," Crystal said with a nod. "Thank you, Robin."

"Not a problem," the younger woman said with a smile, turning to head back to the room where Gavin was located.

* * *

><p>"Mutant signatures detected," Cerebro's voice called, catching Charles Xavier's attention. He moved toward the computer's console, one eyebrow arched in curiosity. "Names: Crystal Rosemund, Hunter Burden, and Robin Latimer. Location: New York."<p>

"What?" he muttered to himself, donning the helmet that connected him to Cerebro. His fingers flew over the keyboard.

"Exact location," Cerebro continued a moment later. "Rosemund Academy, Bayville, New York."

"Interesting," he mused, taking the helmet off and placing it gently on the console. Closing his eyes, he called out telepathically, _Ororo, could you meet me in my office, please? I have an assignment for you._

_Of course, Charles,_ was the immediate response.

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><p>Inara froze, placing a hand on Bridget's arm to stop the blonde as well, as they approached the lunch line. An extremely large teen with a blond Mohawk had just shoved a brunette guy out of his way, holding his tray out to the lunch lady.<p>

"Inara, what -" Bridget began, but her question was cut short by a male voice.

"Fill 'er up," the large teen demanded. When the lunch lady went to grab a plate, he added, "Hey, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, who said anything about a plate? Now, load it up. Heavy!"

"Remind me never to comment on Alex's eating habits again," Inara whispered to Bridget as she watched the lunch lady work as fast as she could to satisfy the large teen's demands.

"Is it really that bad?" Bridget whispered back, a smile playing on her lips.

"Yeah," Inara informed her, watching as the teen walked off with at least three times the amount of food Alex normally ate on his tray. "It's that bad. Come on." They moved forward, approaching the worn out lunch lady. "Two burgers with fries, please."

The lunch lady smiled at the simplistic order, grabbing two plates and loading them with the two girls' requested lunch. "Here you are, dears."

"Thanks," Inara said with a smile as she placed both plates on the tray she was carrying. She turned around, scanning the cafeteria for Alex, Ailana, and James. She spotted them sitting a few tables away from the Xavier kids. She started heading their way, Bridget following behind her.

The large teen was headed for an empty table, but when he sat down, the chair collapsed under his weight and the table toppled over, sending some food that had been left on it flying through the air. When it hit Duncan and one of his football buddies, everyone in the cafeteria froze, their eyes glued to a pissed off Duncan Matthews.

"Things are about to get messy," Inara groaned, stopping halfway to the table where her friends sat.

"Messy?" Bridget asked stopping as well, arching one eyebrow and turning her face toward Inara.

"Bad move, Blob boy," Duncan said, wiping food off of his jacket and heading toward the large teen.

Jean stood up from where she was sitting with Scott, Kurt, and Kitty, say something to the latter as she rose. Kitty replied, a grin dancing on her lips, but Inara was too focused on what the pissed jock was going to do to hear what had been said. The large teen tried to stand up as the jocks approached him, but his foot slipped in some of the food covering the floor. Everyone in the cafeteria started laughing, causing the teen's face to turn a dangerous shade of red.

"Don't. Laugh. At. ME!" he screamed, causing everyone in the cafeteria to freeze once more.

He grabbed some of the food that had fallen off of his tray and slung it across the cafeteria, hitting Duncan in the face. In retaliation, one of Duncan's friends threw a drink at the teen, while the other threw some food off a nearby tray. This only served to further anger the large teen and he began slinging food in every direction.

"Food fight!" a guy Inara recognized from her English class yelled.

"That's our cue to split," Inara said as food started flying through the air from every direction. She grabbed Bridget's hand and led the blonde toward the doors, helping her duck the large quantities of flying food.

It seemed as though she wasn't the only one who wished not to participate in the messy event taking place, because the majority of the student body followed her and Bridget out of the cafeteria.

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><p>Hunter opened the door to see a beautiful, dark skinned woman with shockingly white hair standing at the top of the front steps, one arm raised to knock. "Come in," he said with a small smile. "We've been expecting you."<p>

The woman arched a white eyebrow. "You have?"

"I'll admit we didn't have much warning, but yes, we have. Please, come in and I'll explain." She stepped past him and into the foyer. He shut the door and turned to face her. "My name is Hunter Burden. I have the ability to see the future. It's how we know knew to expect you, as I saw you coming."

"I see," she said, looking a little impressed. "Do you know why I'm here, then?"

"Somewhat." he replied. "If you'll follow me, we'll head to Crystal's office. We can further discuss the matter there."

"Alright," she said with a nod.

* * *

><p>"You're saying that if I join your little band of mutants, you can insure my safety?" the girl sitting across from Mystique asked.<p>

"I can," she replied, smirking. "In fact, I can guarantee that your family will not come looking for you. Ever."

"How can you do that?" the girl questioned, one dark eyebrow arched over a piercing green orb.

"I have the ability to be very persuasive when I need to be," Mystique informed the girl, a sinister smile stretching across her lips.

A shiver ran down the girl's spine and she had no doubts as to how persuasive the blue skinned woman could be. With a nod of her head, she said, "Alright. I'll join your Brotherhood."

"Good," Mystique said, shifting back into the guise of Raven Darkholme. She lowered the divider separating them from the driver, locking eyes with the man in the rearview window. "To the airport."

* * *

><p>"Ah, Ororo," Xavier said, looking up as she entered his office. "What did you find out?"<p>

"Crystal Rosemund is an empath," she informed him, moving to sit in the chair across the desk from him, "with the added ability of sensing the mutant gene in others. After the tragic death of her fiance, she decided to open a school where mutant children could come to learn how to control their abilities. Her academy has three instructors and five students so far, though a sixth student will be arriving tomorrow morning."

"And why couldn't Cerebro detect all these mutants before now?" Logan asked from where he was leaning against the wall to Ororo's left.

"Miss Rosemund has technopath under her employment," Ororo began, turning toward the gruff Canadian mutant. "She believes that the two systems cancel each other out, in a sense. When they are both up and running, they block the other from picking up on the mutants in their proximity. This is, of course, just a theory. Miss Latimer, the technopath, believes she may be able to sync them to prevent this in the future."

"Very well," Xavier said. "I'll give Miss Rosemund a call and invite her to bring her students over once you return from visiting your family, Ororo. Bringing together a large number of mutant teens needs some planning, but I believe it would be beneficial if our students were properly introduced to those of Miss Rosemund. And Miss Latimer can take a look at Cerebro while they are here."

"That should be interestin'," Logan grumbled.

* * *

><p>Gun metal gray eyes began to glow amaranth as they locked on to the small twister destroying a basketball court in downtown Manhattan. The winds the twister was constructed from fought against her control for a few minutes, but then they slowly started to die down. A tall, dark skinned teen could be seen through the dissipating winds, standing in the middle of the small twister.<p>

With slow, cautious steps, Tokugawa moved toward the constantly shrinking twister, eyes focused on the teen. "Augustus," he called. ""Listen to me. You can stop this if you simply concentrate."

"I-I d-don't know how," the boy cried, closing his eyes tight as his hands moved to grasp the sides of his head.

"Focus on the winds surrounding you," Tokugawa instructed. "Take control. Will them to cease."

Slowly but surely, and with Ava's continued help, the winds faded. "I didn't mean - It was just a stupid - I didn't know," the teen stuttered, turning unusually bright blue eyes on Tokugawa.

"I know," the man said with a nod as Ava moved to join him, her eyes no longer glowing. "We are here to help."

"Help?" Augustus echoed, looking between the two.

"Yes, help," Ava spoke up, her tone kind. "Like you, one day I discovered I had these weird abilities." To emphasize her point, she called upon dark storm clouds, her eyes glowing once more. "And trust me, I was a little freaked out," she said, the glow of her eyes fading with the ominous clouds.

"We offered Ava a spot at the Rosemund Academy," Tokugawa said, picking up where Ava left off. "So that we could help her learn to control her abilities."

"You… can teach me?" Augustus asked, a hopeful light dawning in his eyes.

"Yeah, they can," Ava said with a nod, giving him an inviting smile. "So, what do ya say?"

Augustus looked between the two of them before nodding slowly. "Yeah, alright. But I'll need to ask my 'rents."

Tokugawa smiled. "That is fine. We shall accompany you."

* * *

><p>It didn't take long for Emily and Annastasia to decide they didn't like Madison Black much.<p>

The tall, curvaceous teen with ink black hair styled in a short pixie cut and piercing green eyes sauntered into the house barely an hour after they had arrived home from school, declaring that she was their new housemate. Mystique followed, confirming this while glowering at the absence of the large teen she'd presented to them just the day before.

"When Mr. Dukes returns from whatever little adventure that has caused him to be MIA, introduce him to Gravity," she hissed before leaving the house, slamming the door behind her.

"Hey, there," Madison purred, sauntering up to Lance and running a finger along his jaw bone. "Mind showing me to my room, handsome?"

Though he eyed her curves appreciatively, Lance simply jerked a thumb in the direction of the stairs, replying in a bored tone, "Rooms are upstairs. Pick an empty one and it's yours."

Madison pouted, pushing her full bottom lip out. "You don't want to help me unpack?"

"I'll pass," he replied, keeping his bored tone by thinking of long brown hair and light blue eyes.

"Oh well," Madison said with a sigh, knowing when to leave it alone. "Maybe next time?"

Lance snorted, not willing to ruin his chances with a certain member of the opposing team by getting involved with the girl standing in front of him. Even if she was hotter than hell. "Not likely," he muttered as he turned and headed into the kitchen.

"I'll help you, yo!" Todd offered cheerfully, grinning as he hopped over to stand beside Madison.

Madison grinned, knowing a lap dog when she saw one. "Thanks, handsome," she said, winking.

His goofy grin widened. "Follow me," he said, heading for the stairs.

Madison followed the toad like boy, smirking as she thought about all the things she could manipulate him into doing for her. From where they sat on the couch, Emily and Annastasia glared at the new girl's back as she followed a lust struck Todd upstairs.

* * *

><p>"I knew it!" Inara hissed, her eyes twinkling with excitement.<p>

"So, we're going over there?" Alex asked.

"Not for a week or so," Crystal replied from where she sat behind her desk. "One of the instructors, Miss Munroe, will be leaving tomorrow morning to visit family. Charles thinks it best to await her return, and I agree."

"But we are going over there?" Ailana said, grinning. "For sure?"

"Yes," Hunter cut in, a small, amused smile on his lips. "We think it's best for all of you to meet under conditions that will not limit your, ah, rather unique characteristics."

"Meaning we aren't prohibited from using our powers?" James asked.

"No, you aren't prohibited from using your powers," Crystal replied, smiling. "Though Charles did ask me to ask you all if you would refrain from causing large amounts of damage to the Xavier Institute."

"She's talking to the two of you," Bridget said with a snicker, directing her words at Alex and Inara.

"Why just us?" Alex asked as Inara stuck her tongue out at the older girl.

"Because your powers are the most destructive," Bridget chimed. "And don't stick your tongue out at me, Inara!"

"Kids, kids!" Robin said with a wide, amused grin while Inara giggled.

"One more thing," Crystal said when she once again had the attention of all the teens. "Xavier has also asked that you do not tell his students what you know about Principal Darkholme. He feels it is his job to tell them when he feels they're ready. Understood?" When they all nodded, she smiled. "Good. You're all dismissed." The five teens got up and headed for the door, the three girls immediately linking arms.

"It's a shame Xavier doesn't have more boys enrolled," Ailana said with a sigh.

"I don't know," Bridget mused. "Scott and Kurt are both really nice."

"And they aren't bad looking blokes," Inara added.

"Is that why you're always borrowing Kurt's math notes?" Bridget teased lightly, causing Ailana to snicker.

Inara rolled her eyes. "No," she shot back with a small grin. "Math and I, we don't get along too well."

"They really don't," Ailana confirmed. "And besides, I always thought she and Alex had something going on."

Inara blinked, glancing behind her to look at the blond teen walking a few feet behind them with James. Turning back to the other two girls, she shrugged. "Alex is handsome and all, and I won't deny that I did think about it when I first got here, but we're just friends."

"But he's always stuttering around you," Bridget threw in.

"And blushing, but he does that around us, too, sometimes," Ailana put in.

"That's just Alex," Inara said with a shrug. "He's not very good at dealing with girls in close proximity." She paused to grin, and though Bridget couldn't see it, she could hear it in Inara's next statement. "And I'm not exactly known for giving people their personal space. Unless, of course, they ask me to."

"Like Kurt," Ailana said with a nod. "Though why any teenage boy would want his personal space respected is beyond me."

"Maybe it has something to do with his mutation," Bridget mused. She managed to keep her tone thoughtful enough that the other two girls didn't pick up on the certainty skirting the edge.

"Guess we'll find out," Ailana said with another grin.

"I can't bloody wait!" Inara exclaimed, practically buzzing with impatience. Her two housemates giggled as they continued down the hall.

* * *

><p>"Are you excited about going to Xavier's?" James asked as he walked down the hall with Alex.<p>

"Yeah, man," Alex said, grinning. "I mean, come on! More mutants! It'll be great getting to know them better!"

"Yeah, I know," James replied with a grin. Glancing at the three girls walking ahead of them, he added, "We need some more guys to hang out with that aren't going to freak when we use our powers."

"Definitely," Alex agreed with a chuckle. "And it doesn't hurt that there are a couple of gorgeous girls living there, either."

"Yeah," James retorted with a playful snort, "like you could talk to them without stuttering and blushing."

"Come on, man," Alex groaned. "That was cold!" James simply chuckled.

* * *

><p>"You didn't see it, mom," Augustus said, running a hand over his black hair, styled in a short buzz cut. "I could've - The damage -" He paused, shaking his head. "I think this place, this academy, will be good for me."<p>

"And you're sure?" Mrs. Evans said, walking over to place her hands on his shoulders.

"Yeah, mom, I am," he said with a nod of his head. "And I won't be too far away. Just down in Bayville."

"Deborah," Mr. Evans said, moving to stand beside his wife. "After hearing what happened, I agree. This academy will be good for him. "

"I know," Mrs. Evans said with a sigh, removing her hands from her son's shoulders so she could turn to step into her husband's embrace. "It's just… he's my little boy,"

"I'll always be your little boy, mom," Augustus said, smiling softly. "I'll just be your little boy who creates tornadoes."

Mrs. Evans laughed. "Well, okay then."

"Our plane leaves tomorrow morning," Tokugawa said. "So you have tonight to pack and properly say good bye. We will come and pick you up an hour before our departure time." He turned to Mr. and Mrs. Evans. "Again, thank you for listening," he said as he shook their hands once more.

"It was nice meeting you Mrs. Evans, Mr. Evans," Ava said politely as she once again shook their hands.

"Likewise," Mr. Evans said, smiling.

"Take care of him," Mrs. Evans said as she led them to the front door.

"We will," Tokugawa assured her, while Augustus could be heard groaning, 'Mom!' from the living room.

As the door closed behind them, Ava mused, "Well, that was easy. Almost like talking to Inara's parents."

"Almost?" Tokugawa asked, arching an eyebrow in curiosity.

Ava snickered. "Her dad's a writer, right?" When he nodded, she went on, "He practically bombarded me and Jay with questions about our abilities. Research, he called it."

He couldn't help chuckling. "So I take it he's not opposed to his daughter's gifts?"

"Nah, he's cool with it. So is her mom."

"She is one of the lucky ones, then."

"Yeah," Ava muttered with a nod. 'Wish I was that lucky,' she added in her head.

* * *

><p>So let me know what you think! Am I still doing your character justice? Is there anything you'd like to see your character do or participate in? As always, constructive criticism is welcome!<p> 


	5. Speed & Spyke

Whew! This was a long one! But I knew it was going to be. Alright, review response time!

A-Rog - So I couldn't fit Alex's guitar playing into this chapter, but it's coming soon! Hopefully in the next chapter.

4everablackrose - Glad I'm doing a good job with Bridget! Don't know exactly when, but you will be seeing Mark and his kiddies!

Haretrigger - Lol! Glad you find this story addicting. :) And thanks for the compliment of brilliance on Crystal's second power! You'll see what Ava meant in due time. And yes, while Ailana's abilities have the potential of being destructive, Alex and Inara are the ones most likely to destroy something. Ailana's powers haven't grown quite enough to blast a hole in a wall or melt glass just yet. Bridget's power is revealed in this chapter, though originally, her ability to see things through vibrations was going to be her only ability. Thankfully, her creator didn't mind my tweaking her a bit. And the meeting between the Xavier kids and the Rosemund gang is here! Hope it's to your liking. As for they're first encounter with the Brotherhood gang, it's coming soon! As for what the teachers do when the kids are not around, I'll try to show a bit more of that when I can! ;)

bettycrocker540 - Yes, I know! Now that everyone's where they should be, I should be able to focus more on the new Brotherhood members. I tried to give them as much limelight as I could in this chapter.

KitKat12312 - I'm glad you like it! Yes, the OCs are great, aren't they? Not too powerful and definitely not too perfect! It's why they were chosen! Here's your update. Hope you like it!

Okay, so I'll let you read chapter five now!

* * *

><p>She stood her ground as her opponent charged at her, hands held out in front of her with her palms facing away from her. As soon as he was within reached, her hands shot out to grasp the front of his shirt. She bent her knees, crouching close enough to the ground that she could roll backward without causing herself injury. Using one leg against his stomach as leverage, and the momentum of her roll, she sent him flying over her head.<p>

"She's getting better," Ava mused as she watched her boyfriend hit the blue mat with a thud and a groan.

Tokugawa nodded as he watched Jay scramble to his feet. Inara was already back on her feet, watching the older boy cautiously, her hands in front of her once more. "Her past experience with gymnastics has proven to be quite beneficial to her defense training," he said, watching as the petite brunette easily flipped over the taller teen, landing expertly on her feet before twisting to kick him in the back. "After she saw that, it was easy to convince her to take up the sport again."

A loud buzzing echoed throughout the gym, and the two sparring teens broke apart. Bridget moved to take Inara's spot on the blue mat, exchanging a hive five with the younger girl as she headed for one of the benches lining the wall. The rippling, burnt orange light she was accustomed to seeing revealed Alex standing across from her, Jay having moved off to stand beside Ava.

"Those were some cool moves!" Augustus said, grinning as he plopped down on the bench beside Inara. "Where'd you learn 'em?"

"I used to participate in gymnastics back in London," she told him as the loud buzzing announced the start of the next match. "I wasn't really dedicated to it back then, but I'm taking it up again."

"Cool," he said, turning to watch Alex and Bridget spar. "Oh, wow," he said, his eyes widening as he watched Bridget bob and weave, dodging Alex's attacks. "She's good."

"You will be, too," she told him with a snicker. "After a few lessons from Mr. Hideyoshi."

"My partner's Ava," he said with a groan. "How am I supposed to hold my own against someone who's been here a year? I mean, I just got here!"

"Relax, Aug," she said, grinning as she lightly nudged him. "Ava'll go easy on you. Besides, you're here to learn, not get pummeled. Mr. Hideyoshi will show you a few basic moves before your match."

"You really don't have anything to worry about," James added, coming to stand on Inara's other side while Ailana moved to drop down between Inara and James.

"Yeah," she said, grinning as well. "No one's ever gotten too badly hurt during these sessions."

"Thanks," Augustus groaned. "That makes me feel _so _much better."

* * *

><p>"Thanks for letting me tag along," Annastasia said as she sat down underneath a large tree. The unique locket Mystique had given her upon her recruitment into the Brotherhood hung around her neck. The holographic image of a normal-looking, light skinned girl hid her true, wolfish appearance from the general public.<p>

"Not a problem," Emily said, giving the younger girl a small smile as she, too, sat down underneath the large tree. "I figured you wanted to get out of there just as bad as I did."

"I did," Annastasia replied with a firm nod. "She's really starting to get on my nerves. First Todd, then Freddy. I wouldn't be surprised if she had Damion eating out of her hands by the time we got back."

"Nah, I think Damion's got more willpower than that. He's definitely not one to be easily manipulated," Emily said, carefully opening her art book to a clean page.

"Neither is Lance, apparently," Annastasia said, a wicked grin dancing on her lips. "I love it when he shoots down all her attempts to hook him!"

"Yeah, well, Lance seems a little taken with one of those X-Geeks," Emily muttered, using the name she'd heard Todd call the Xavier kids. "The ponytail wearing brunette one, Kitty."

"You think so?" Annastasia said, turning to give Emily a questioning look.

"I've seen the way he watches her when we're at school, Annie," she told the wolf girl as she began drawing. "Trust me, he's definitely got a thing for her."

"Well, what about that Inara chick?" Annastasia asked. "I've seen him staring at her."

"Yeah, so have I," Emily replied, frowning slightly. "But I don't think he likes her. At least, not the way he likes Kitty. It's something else."

* * *

><p>Damion entered the room he now shared with Lance, closing the door behind him. Lance was laying in his bed, his arms folded by his head as he stared up at the ceiling. Arching an eyebrow, Damion moved to sit on his own bed.<p>

"What's got you so deep in thought?" he asked the other boy as he grabbed his history book off of the bedside table.

"Inara," Lance answered, not looking away from the ceiling.

"Inara?" Damion asked, a hint of confusion in his voice. "Thought you had a thing for that girl from Xavier's, Kitty?"

"I do," Lance said with a nod. Damion was the only person he had admitted this to, seeing as the other boy wasn't one for gossip. "But there's something weird about that Inara girl. Something I just can't put my finger on."

"Why don't you just ask her?" Damion suggested as he went back to reading the chapter his history teacher assigned as homework.

Lance frowned up at the ceiling as the room grew quiet, the only sound being the occasional turn of a page in Damion's book. Could he really just walk up to Inara and ask her if she felt connected to him?

* * *

><p>Fred entered the living room carrying a sandwich on a plate and a soda. With a shy grin, he handed them both over to Madison, who was lounging on the couch trying to find something she wanted to watch. She grinned up at the large teen, pausing in her channel surfing to run a finger along Fred's chin, causing him to blush.<p>

Rogue rose from the armchair she was sitting in, marking her page in the book she was reading with one finger as she headed for the stairs. Just as she reached the bottom step, Madison called out.

"Didn't mean to disturb you, Rogue," she said in a fake apologetic tone.

Rogue turned her head to smirk at the dark haired girl. "Ya didn't," she replied in her Southern accent. "Ah just feel a little sick. Think I'll lie down for a bit."

With that, she continued up the stairs and to the room she shared with Emily and Annastasia. Her dislike of Madison outweighed her fear of accidentally draining one of the other girls, and so she had refused to room with the gravity controlling mutant.

After closing the door to her shared room behind her, she moved to sit on her bed, leaning her back against the wall. She opened her book once more, bending her knees so she could prop it up against them, and went back to reading.

* * *

><p>"Ah, Crystal," Xavier said, turning to greet the woman as she approached, a group of eleven people following behind her.<p>

"Thanks for having us over, Charles," she said, smiling.

"Anyone know that Kurt looked like a fuzzy, blue demon?" Augustus asked in a hushed tone as the adults, including Jay and Ava, exchanged pleasantries, his eyes wide as they locked onto the German teen.

"Augustus!" Bridget hissed as two heads turned in the direction of the pool. Inara and James simply glanced discretely over Bridget's shoulders, already facing the pool.

"Have you ever actually seen a demon?" Inara whispered back in an irritated tone after noticing Kurt's forced smile.

"No," Augustus said, turning to give her a confused look.

"Then you don't know that that's what he looks like," she snapped quietly, eyes flashing dangerously as she crossed her arms under her chest.

"But that's how they're usually depicted in the movies, Inara," Alex said just as quietly.

"Movies aren't exactly as basis for truth," James stated calmly, Bridget and Inara agreeing with a nod of their heads.

"And in some movies, they're depicted as looking human," Bridget countered.

"I'm not saying they are," Alex shot back at James, mimicking Inara's stance. "But can you honestly say that wasn't the first thought to pop into your head? Or at least something close to it?"

"Yes," Inara hissed, her cheeks growing warm. "I can!"

"Oh, really?" Ailana said, taking the pink tinge on Inara's cheeks for embarrassment. "You don't find it unnerving?"

"Unnerving?" Bridget snapped, keeping her voice just as low as the others. There was a hard edge on her tone that couldn't be missed. "How is it unnerving? His looks don't change the fact that he's one of the nicest people we know!"

"It's not unnerving," Augustus amended, shaking his head. "It's just… I dunno… Weird!"

"Oh, honestly!" Inara cried, throwing her hands up in the air. "Come on, Bridge," she said, grabbing Bridget's wrist and practically dragging the blonde off down the edge of the pool.

"I have to go with Inara one this one," James said with a shrug. Despite his calm exterior, something akin to irritation shone in his eyes. He turned to follow the chlorokinetic without waiting for a response.

"Whatever," Alex muttered dully, the beginnings of guilt and shame manifesting in him. His hard-headedness prevented him from going after his friends, though.

"It is unnerving," Ailana said once the others were out of earshot, crossing her arms under her chest and frowning.

Augustus didn't say anything, but he disagreed. He had meant it when he said it wasn't unnerving. It just wasn't normal. _You can create and control tornadoes_, a voice inside him sneered. _Who are you to judge what's normal?_

* * *

><p>Kurt forced a smile as Alex and Ailana turned their heads to look at him. He unconsciously reached over to rub his left wrist, where his image inducer normally would be. It was too bad electronics and water didn't mix well. If they did, he could just wear his inducer all the time and avoid situations like this.<p>

Inara's raised voice pulled him out of his reverie and his eyes focused on the group of teens once again, only to find Inara dragging Bridget away from the others. James said something Kurt couldn't make out before turning to follow the irritated looking brunette. He was a little surprised when he realized they were making their way over to him.

"Hey, Bridget, Inara," Evan said, moving closer to Kurt. Apparently, he had witnessed the exchange, too.

Glancing around, Kurt saw that Scott and Jean were watching the three teens carefully, while Kitty was looking between the two groups. Scott and Jean must have seen the exchange, too, but Kitty, who had been glaring at Evan, had missed it.

"'Lo, Evan, Kurt," Inara said, smiling as she hopped into the pool.

"Hey guys," Bridget greeted, also smiling as she eased down to sit on the edge of the pool before sliding into the water. "Wow, this'll be the first time I've gone swimming since the accident."

"Don't worry," Inara said with a grin, moving to link arms with the blonde. "I won't let you drown."

"Accident?" Kurt asked, relaxing just a little. The fact that neither of the girls had commented on his looks yet didn't put him entirely as ease. After all, Bridget couldn't see what he really looked like and Inara had a very vivid imagination. She could easily be pretending to see a normal looking boy.

"I was in a car wreck when I was eight," she replied, reaching up to remove her sunglasses to reveal her clouded, brown eyes. "That's how I lost my eyesight."

"Oh, sorry," Kurt replied, a sheepish grin on his lips.

"It's okay." Bridget assured him after hearing the slight apologetic tone in his voice.

"Cannonball!" James shouted, jumping in the pool behind the girls with a large splash.

The force of his landing broke the girls apart. Bridget threw her hands out in front her, trying to find something to steady herself. She found Evan, her hands landing on his shoulders as the small wave pushed her into his chest. Inara collided with Kurt, who barely had time to brace himself so that they both remained standing.

Evan's cheeks turned red as he gently eased Bridget back, putting some space between them and noticing that she was blushing, too. When she was steady on her own feet, they let go of each other, Evan reaching up the rub the back of his neck while Bridget folded her arms behind her back.

"You're a dead man, Jimmy," Inara growled, using the nickname she knew James hated. She pushed away from Kurt, lunging at a laughing James.

Kurt watched as she placed her hands on James' shoulders, kicking off of the bottom of the pool and using all of her one hundred and twenty pounds, and the element of surprise, to push the taller teen back under the water. She hadn't flinched at the feel of his fur, hadn't jerked away when he'd wrapped three fingered hands around her upper arms to steady her. And were his eyes playing tricks on him, or had there been a light pink tinge on her cheeks?

He shook his head. No, he must have been seeing things.

Inara laughed as James resurfaced, sputtering as he playfully glared at her. He swept his hand through the water, splashing her with a small wave. She retaliated, and a splashing war ensued between the two while Bridget laughed, the splashes and laughter cluing her in to what was happening.

"Hey!" Kurt cried when one of James' attacks hit him by accident. He quickly joined in, followed by Evan, much to Kitty's dismay.

"Like, cut it out, guys!" she cried, glaring at the four laughing teens.

"Relax, K-girl," Evan said with a grin. "It's not like you got a float anyway."

"No thanks to you," she huffed, moving to the other end of the pool.

Alex sighed as he watched the four teens repeatedly splash each other. It had surprised him to learn that Kurt didn't always look the way he did when they were at school, but Bridget did have a good point. His looks didn't change who Kurt was as a person. And Alex had liked him well enough when he thought he was just as normal looking as everyone else.

Slowly, and a little nervously, he made his way over to stand beside Bridget. "Hey," he said softly, rubbing his neck.

"Hey," she replied just as softly.

He shifted a little, unsure of what to do next before a wave of water hit him in the face. Pushing wet hair out of his eyes, he looked over to see Inara looking at him with one eyebrow arched. He answered her silent question with a grin as he splashed her back. James grinned as Alex joined in the splashing war.

Though he stayed at the other end of the pool with Ailana, who had struck up a conversation with Kitty, Augustus continuously glanced at the teens splashing each other. He hadn't known Kurt as long as the others had, but he couldn't deny that he was a nice guy. He'd even come to regard him as a friend. So what did it matter if the boy's appearance was a little different than normal?

_Because you keep pretending you're still normal_, that voice inside him chided. _You don't want to admit that you're a freak, too._

* * *

><p>"So," Scott began, watching the splashing war that was taking place. "They're not freaked out?"<p>

"Bridget and Inara," Jay said, smirking as he glanced at the aforementioned girls. "Definitely not. James might've been a little surprised a first, but he's Mr. Collected. Always keeps a cool head."

"Alex seems to have come around," Jean said, watching as the blond boy joined in the fun.

"Yeah, we knew he would," Ava said with a grin. "He's a good guy, but sometimes he can be a little hard-headed. Ailana, on the other hand," she said, glancing at the black haired girl talking to Kitty. "Now it might take her a while to come around."

"And Augustus?" Scott asked.

"I don't think he's fully accepted the fact that he's a mutant yet," Ava said, watching as the wind manipulator frequently glanced toward the far end of the pool. "But he'll come around sooner than Ailana, of that I have no doubt."

"And you two aren't bothered by it?" Jean asked them.

"Nah," Jay replied with a grin. "From what I've heard, he's a good kid. So what if he looks a little different?"

"I'll admit that there's a part of me that's weirded out by it," Ava admitted, "but it's the part of me I don't really like. The part that my parents love. For the most part, though, it doesn't bother me."

"Thanks for being honest," Jean said, smiling at the other girl.

* * *

><p>"There is something I wanted to ask your opinion on, Charles," Crystal said. Xavier looked up at her with one eyebrow arched in curiosity, so she went on, "It involves Inara. She confided in me after her little excursion to the Brotherhood boarding house that she felt a strange connection to Lance Alvers."<p>

"Hmm," Xavier replied. "What is the extent of Inara's abilities?"

"She's a powerful chlorokinetic," Crystal replied, "though I doubt she's even begun to tap into her full potential. I believe she may be directly connected to the plant life she controls. When she's on a plane, or away from the ground for prolonged periods of time, she becomes so sick that she has to be sedated. And she grows weak in cold weather, passing out if exposed for too long."

"Yes, I believe you're right," Xavier said, turning to let his gaze settle on the petite brunette. "It seems that she is connected to the Earth through the plant life she controls. Lance Alvers is a geokinetic. If he, too, is connected to the Earth through his abilities, then it is possible that they would feel connected to each other. I would need to know the extent of Lance's abilities before declaring this a certainty, however."

"I understand," Crystal said, nodding. "Thank you. That gives us something of an answer to give to her."

"Of course," he replied with a smile. "Any time."

* * *

><p>"Her name's Liron Golden," Rogue said, filling Emily and Annastasia in on the newest teen to join the Brotherhood. "She's got adoptive muscle memory. She can mimic anything she sees someone else do. Mystique calls her Copycat."<p>

"What's she like?" Annastasia asked, her tail swishing back and forth on the bed behind her.

"Ah'm not really sure," Rogue replied with a shrug. "She seemed happy when she got here. Ah came back up to tha room a few minutes after Mystique left."

"She'll have to room with Madison," Emily said. She sat on her bed, her sketch pad in her lap once more. Her violet eyes flickered up to study an unsuspecting Annastasia every few seconds before returning to the pad.

"Yeah," Rogue said. "And Todd's moved in with Fred. Pietro refused to share a room, so he's the only one who's got his own."

"Of course he did," Annastasia said with a roll of her eyes. "Who is that guy to think he's better than the rest of us?"

"Don't know," Rogue said with a shrug. "But the way he talks all fast lahke is really annoyin'."

* * *

><p>"They have cool costumes," Alex muttered quietly to Inara. "And cool codenames. We so need to get us some."<p>

She snickered. "We'll get started when we get back to the academy."

"What are they wearing?" Bridget asked from Inara's other side, prompting the younger girl to describe in detail the costumes the Xavier kids were wearing.

"And they call themselves the X-Men," Augustus whispered to Alex. "We need to come up with a cool team name, too!"

"Cyclops," Xavier called. Scott stepped away from his teammates, facing the cluster of targets that stood ten feet away from the group. "Cyclops' eyes emit a destructive optic blast beam," Xavier told the Rosemund students before nodding to Scott.

Scott reached up to turn the dial on his visor, releasing a small, red blast that obliterated one of the targets. The Rosemund students showed how impressed they were with 'Whoas' and 'Awesomes'. Alex and Inara exchanged knowing smiles.

"My turn," Alex said, grinning as he stepped forward to stand beside Scott. He raised one hand, aiming at the target next to the one Scott had just destroyed. A green blast shot from his palm, destroying the target he was aiming for.

"Impressive," Scott said, his tone indicating he was indeed impressed. Evan let out a low whistle and all the X-men wore impressed looks.

"Alex converts his caloric intake into energy that he can channel into concussive blasts or use to enhance his body's resistance, strength, and speed. The latter is something he's only recently began working on," Tokugawa informed the Xavier teens. "He also has a healing factor."

"Like, Mr. Logan has a healing factor, too," Kitty piped up.

"Cyclops, Alex, if you would please step back," Xavier said. Once both boys had done so, he said, "Jean, if you would."

Jean smiled, levitating a few feet above the ground. _I'm a telekinetic,_ her voice sounded through the Rosemund students minds, _as well as a telepath. So I can move things with my mind and read others' thoughts._

"A telepathic telekinetic," Inara mused as she stepped away from her group. "Very nice."

"And what do you do?" Jean asked, gently touching back down on the ground.

Inara grinned and a loud creaking sounded from somewhere behind the Rosemund kids, who were quick to turn around, as if expecting the trees behind them to come to life. The X-Men blinked, their jaws dropping in astonishment when that was exactly what happened. A cluster of three trees suddenly stood soldier straight, their branches stretching into the air.

"I'm a chlorokinetic," Inara told them, her grin widening. "Meaning I can control plant life. Trees, vines, flowers, fruits, vegetables." Just as suddenly as they straightened, the trees fell back into their original positions. "Any type of flora."

"Cool!" Evan and Kurt exclaimed together, grinning at the brunette.

"That's, like, totally awesome," Kitty added smiling. "I just phase through things."

"Phase through things?" Augustus echoed, blinking down at her.

"Shadowcat has the ability to become intangible so that she, and others, can move through solid objects," Xavier informed them.

"Watch," Kitty said before she sunk right into the ground.

"Dude!" Augustus exclaimed as Kitty phased back out of the ground on the other side of Jean than she'd originally been. "That's wicked!"

"Thanks," she said with a giggle.

"Watch this," Augustus said, moving away from everyone. He held his hands out to the side and strong winds came out of nowhere, swirling around him. His feet lifted off the ground just a little as he started to spin with the winds, making a small twister.

"Augustus is an aerokinetic," Ava piped up. "He can control the wind, though all he's managed to do right now is create twisters."

"We are working on expanding his powers," Tokugawa added as the winds died down and Augustus' feet hit the ground, the teen no longer spinning.

"Mr. Hideyoshi thinks I have the capability of flight, but, uh," he paused to grin sheepishly, "I'm afraid of heights."

"That's cool, man," Evan said, grinning. "But check this out."

He moved forward, facing the targets. He raised his hands above his head before swinging them down in front of him. Several bony spikes shot from his hands and arms, sinking into one of the previously untouched targets. Only one of them actually hit the bulls eye.

"Spyke is able to project spikes made of bone from his body," Xavier said. "He can also coat his body in a light, bone armor."

"You must drink a lot of milk," Bridget mused.

"As a side effect of his mutation, Alex has to eat large quantities of food," Crystal explained at the blank looks Bridget was unknowingly getting, "so forgive us for assuming that Spyke would have a similar side effect."

"No, she's right," Evan said, shaking his head as he grinned. "I do drink a lot of milk."

"So, what about you, Bridget?" Scott asked, and she could hear the kind smile in his voice.

"When something sends a vibration through the ground," she replied, turning her face in his direction, "an orange light ripples over that object, allowing me to 'see' it. The shoes I'm wearing were specially designed by Miss Latimer to send out vibrations so that I can 'see' stationary objects as well. It's how I get around school without a walking stick or Kyle, my seeing eye dog."

"It seems to be a form of echokinesis," Hunter put in, "but one that uses vibrations instead of sound."

"So I don't know what your 'normal' look actually looks like," she added, grinning in Kurt's direction. "I've always seen the real you. Well, except orange, not blue."

"Zhat explains zhings," he said, grinning as he rubbed the back of his neck. So Bridget could see what he looked like after all. And didn't seem bothered by it.

"Is that all you can do?" Evan asked curiously.

"I thought it was," Bridget said. "But then I developed another ability." She concentrated and her entire body shifted into a rock form.

"It's called elemental transmogrification," Tokugawa spoke up. "She takes on a rock form, becoming impervious to damage."

"The only downside," Bridget began in a deep gravelly voice, "is the change in my voice." She slowly shifted back into her original form.

"What about you?" James asked Kurt with a grin. "Got anything besides your looks?"

"Oh yeah," Kurt replied with a grin before disappearing with a loud bamf and leaving behind a dark cloud of smoke that smelled like sulfur and brimstone. He reappeared beside James with another bamf. "Teleportation!"

"And how far can you teleport?" Inara asked.

"Not very far," he replied. "Two miles is my limit."

Alex laughed at Inara's disappointed sigh. "Inara doesn't like flying," he explained at Kurt's confused look. "She'd love to be able to just teleport back home to visit her parents."

"It's not that I don't like flying," Inara snapped. "It makes me sick."

"Don't they have motion sickness pills for that?" Evan asked.

"It's not motion sickness," Xavier said, gaining all the students attention. "Crystal and I have discussed this briefly. We believe Inara is connected to the Earth through her chlorokinesis. Therefore, if she away from the ground for too long, for example, on a plane, she becomes ill. Once she's back on the ground, she begins to rapidly get better."

"Considering I'm from London, it's a big issue," Inara added. "My mum has to fly over here and fly back with me, because sedation's the only thing that helps."

"Sounds like a drag," Scott said with a small, apologetic smile.

"So," Kurt began, turning to James. "Vhat can you do?"

James closed his eyes, concentrating for a moment before five, pitch black, featureless humanoids appeared around the Rosemund gang. "I call them soldiers," he said while the X-Men marveled at the black figures. "I can telepathically control them, and see and hear everything they do."

"So far we've determined that they are twice as strong as the average man," Tokugawa added.

"How many can you make?" Evan asked.

"I've gotten up to twenty in training," James replied.

"Awesome!"

"Like, what's your power, Ailana?" Kitty asked, turning to the youngest member of the Rosemund gang.

Ailana turned toward the targets, concentrating as she stretched a hand out of front of her. She released a blast of heat, hitting the target covered in spikes and knocking it backwards.

"Thermokinesis," Tokugawa said. "She is able to control and manipulate heat to cause a variety of effects. She is limited right now to heat blasts, which you just witnessed, and raising temperature, but we are working on expanding her abilities."

"I'm also immune to drastic temperature changes," she added.

"And you two?" Jean asked the eldest members of the Rosemund Academy. "What are your gifts?"

"I can control the weather, to an extent," Ava told them. "My abilities focus on the more violent side of weather, so I can control thunderstorms and lightning. I can fly, but it's harder for me than it is for Miss Munroe, I'm sure. I still have a little bit of a tough time controlling winds that aren't violent."

"I have enhanced strength," Jay said, grinning. "And I can do this!" His body was quickly engulfed in an unnatural black fire. Raising his hands above his head, he sent a large blast of fire into the air, shaping it into a large 'J'.

As soon as he did that, Inara jerked backward, bumping into Scott, who wasn't expecting it. Though his hands landed on her waist to steady her, they both went tumbling to the ground, Scott landing on his butt and Inara in his lap.

"James McRae!" Ava shouted, her eyes flashing amaranth as it started to rain violently, effectively putting out his flames.

"What?" he asked before spotting the wide eyed brunette staring up at him. "Oh, man!" he groaned, seeing the fear in her eyes. "Sorry, Inara." He moved to help her up, but when she flinched away from him, quickly took a step back.

"S-sorry," Inara stuttered, slowly climbing to her feet though she stayed as far away from Jay as she could.

"Are you okay?" Scott asked as she turned to offer him a shaky hand. He took it, letting her pull him off of the ground.

"Inara's terrified of fire," Alex said, shooting a glare at Jay.

"Why, what happened?" Kitty asked, voice full of concern.

"Nothing," Inara muttered. "I've never been in a fire, never been burned, but I've been terrified of it ever since I was little."

"I really am sorry, Inara," Jay said, his shoulders sagging. "I forgot."

"It's okay," she said, giving him a small smile.

"It's not okay," Ava snapped. Though she was still glaring at her boyfriend, the violent rain storm had ceased. "That was completely idiotic!"

"Well," Xavier said, rolling forward. "I think that's enough excitement for now. You may all go change into something a bit more comfortable and we'll have dinner."

"Great!" Alex cheered. "I'm starving."

Inara laughed, her fear forgotten as she said, "Of course you are."

"Hey, I don't blame him," Kurt said as the students started heading for the mansion. "I'm starving, too."

"Yeah, man," Evan added. "Power demonstrations take a lot out of you."

Xavier and Crystal hung back, allowing the instructors to walk ahead of them as well. "While the children are changing and dinner is being prepared, there are things we need to discuss," Xavier said in tone that meant business.

"Yes," Crystal agreed with a nod. "Like Mystique and Magneto."

"Exactly," Xavier confirmed. "We'll go to my study. No one will disturb us there without knocking first."

* * *

><p>Okay, so it was very hard to write that little argument scene between the Rosemund gang. To clear things up, this is why it fell the way it did: Bridget 'sees' through vibrations in the ground and therefore would not pick up the image projected by Kurt's inducer, so she's already accepted his true appearance. Inara was raised to believe that everyone is who they were always meant to be, not to mention her father writes Sci-FiFantasy novels in which the hero or heroine is unique looking most of the time, so she's a very open-minded individual. And James is the calm, collected one of the group. While he may have initially been shocked at Kurt's true appearance, he would've remained calm, concluding that Kurt had always looked like that and was, as Bridget said, one of the nicest guys they'd met, so why should the revelation of his true appearance bother him?

As for the other side of the spectrum, that was even harder to write. Mainly because Alex. A-Rog, I applaud you at making such a great OC, because I love this guy! And so it was very hard to make him act the way he did! Which is why I had to redeem him! I figured while Alex may be put off at first by Kurt's true appearance, he would quickly realize that Kurt was the same guy he'd always been, though it did take him a whole minute! As for Augustus, I figured I'd give ol' Aug a bit of a complex. Seeing as he's the newest student at the academy, he hasn't fully accepted the fact that he's a mutant. And to accept Kurt for what he truly looks like would be to accept that he's different, too. He'll come around eventually! And lastly, we have Ailana. Okay, so I needed at least one person to be completely wigged by Kurt's blue, fuzziness(even if he's so darn cute!) and so it was her.

Okay, one more little bit before I leave you all in peace! One: I'm going to try and show off the new Brotherhood members' abilities in the next chapter. And two: Augustus said it! The Rosemund kids need a team name, because hey, they won't be outdone! Any and all suggestions are welcome, as I, myself, am quite stumped right now!


	6. Middleverse

Woot! Here's chapter six! Brought to you in a flash on account of a special occasion! Happy Birthday to 4everablackrose! Review responses:

Ember Ice - Here's the next chapter! Hope you enjoy!

A-Rog - Here's an even faster update! Though I can't guarantee they'll all be this fast, they should come fairly frequently. I've got a lot of ideas for the upcoming chapters. I'm glad I got Alex's character down right! And he is very realistic! One of my all time favorite OCs! Unfortunately, I just couldn't get his guitar playing in this chapter either. But it will be in the next chapter. I've already got it planned out!

KitKat12323 - I know, poor Kurt! Blue is my favorite color as well, as it's the color of my birthstone! And he's always been one of my favorite X-Men no matter what universe it is. But I do love his Evo personality!

Haretrigger - There may very well be a friendly game of baseball in the future! One that happens before season three! While there is a bit of discord between the Rosemund gang right now, I don't have plans for them to get physical. The costumes, codenames, and team name are coming! As is the first get together between Inara and Lance, without the others around. While I touched briefly on the connection between them, this will dig a bit deeper into it. And thank you for the suggestion on Bridget's codename! I think I'm going to use it!

To those who have read, but not reviewed, thanks for taking the time to read my story!

By the way, I realized that James didn't show off his power in the last chapter. That was my bad. So I went back and added it in if you'd like to go back and read it! Also, the team name 'Thorns' has been presented by HokkaidoMaster. I, personally, like it, but let me know how you feel!

* * *

><p>"It's a good thing Mystique let you have your own car," Annastasia mused as she and Damion followed Emily out to the black 1991 Honda Accord parked beside Lance's green jeep.<p>

"I know," Emily said with a grin as they climbed into the car. "Otherwise I don't know how we'd all get to school."

"Hey, wait up, yo!" Todd called, hopping out of the front door with his school bag slung over one shoulder.

"What's wrong with you?" Damion asked, one eyebrow arched as Todd climbed into the backseat beside him, glowering as he shut the door.

"Pietro," he said in a bitter tone. "The guy can just zip to school, but no. He has to take my place in Lance's jeep!"

Emily and Annastasia rolled their eyes as the car pulled out onto the road while Damion frowned. They all knew the real reason Todd was mad about having to ride with them was that he didn't get to ride with Madison.

* * *

><p>"What kind of car do you think Inara will get?" Bridget asked as she climbed out of the passenger seat of James' dark red Volvo C70.<p>

"I thought Miss Rosemund said she wasn't going to buy 'Nara a car," Augustus said, frowning in confusion.

"She's not," James said with a grin. "But she never said Inara's parents couldn't buy her a car."

"Her parents are buyin' her a car?" Augustus asked, blinking as he looked between his housemates.

"Oh yeah," Ailana replied with a snicker. "And it'll probably be brand new."

"Dude, seriously?"

"Her dad's a best selling author who's only daughter is fixing to turn sixteen," Bridget said, laughing a little. "So, yeah, she'll probably get a brand new car."

"Can they adopt me?" Augustus muttered, causing the other three to laugh as they headed for Bayville High's main building.

* * *

><p>"Vhat are you reading?" Kurt asked, glancing at the brunette sitting beside him.<p>

"Stuff for driver's ed," she replied, lifting the book off her desk to show him the front cover.

"I didn't zhink you vere old enough yet," he admitted.

"Technically, I'm not," she said. "My birthday's in a few days. Miss Rosemund's already enrolled me in the classes."

"Oh, cool," he said, grinning. "Are you nervous?"

"Maybe a little," she told him with a shrug. "Miss Latimer's been letting me drive her jeep around the academy grounds. She says I'm not bad for someone who's never driven before."

"Zhat is good," he said. "Is Miss Rosemund getting you a car?"

"No," she said, shaking her head. "She only bought James' Volvo because he already had his license and Ava was always late to her morning class."

"Bummer," he muttered. Frowning, he said, "Wait. Doesn't Alex have a bike?"

"Yeah," she confirmed with a nod, "but he brought it with him when he came to the academy. So Miss Rosemund said if my parents want to buy me a car, then that's fine."

"Are zhey going to?"

"I've already got it picked out," she said, grinning.

"Alright, class," the teacher said as she entered the room, preventing Kurt from responding. Inara stuffed the driver's education book into her bag and pulled out her math book.

* * *

><p>"Hey, man," Evan whispered, leaning over his desk to tap the other boy on the shoulder. "Did you hear about the party?"<p>

"Party?" Augustus questioned, arching an eyebrow as he turned his head to look at Evan over his shoulder. "What party?"

"Duncan Matthews is throwing a party tonight. Everyone's invited."

"Dude, really?" Augustus asked, twisting at the waist to see Evan better. "Are you guys going?"

"We're gonna try," Evan replied, nodding. "We gotta convince Scott first."

Augustus grinned. "We'll be there. James is the closest thing to Scott we got, and he likes to have fun, too."

"Great!" Evan said. "Come out to the quad at lunch. Maybe you guys can help us convince Scott."

"Will do," Augustus assured him, grinning.

"Mr. Evans, Mr. Daniels," the teacher called in a strict tone. "Please pay attention!"

* * *

><p>"Duncan Matthews is throwing a party tonight," Augustus told Alex and Bridget as they headed for the quad. "The Xavier kids are gonna try and get Scott to let 'em go."<p>

"A party, huh?" Alex said, grinning. "We are so there!"

"What about James, Inara, and Ailana?" Bridget said. "We don't know if they'll even want to go."

Alex snorted. "Inara's not gonna turn down a party."

"And I'm sure James and Ailana will go if we do," Augustus added. His eyes scanned the quad, landing on the Xavier kids. "Look, there they are."

As they headed for the table the other teens were sitting at, they saw Kitty get up and walk off, looking just slightly irritated.

"Look, I'm trying to be serious here," Scott said as they approached the table. "Look, we go to Matthews' party, suppose Dukes or Maximoff try to start something. We're not the only mutants in the school, you know?"

"Yeah, just the cool ones," Evan replied, sharing a high five with Kurt.

"Ouch," Bridget said as they reached the table, pretending to be hurt.

"You guys are included in the cool, Bridge," Evan assured her with a grin. "All the Rosemund kids are."

"Nice to know," Alex said, chuckling. "So, you guys going or what?"

"I don't think so," Scott told him.

"Hey, come on, Scott," Jean said, leaning forward to rest her chin on her propped up hand. "What's wrong with a little socializing?"

"I'm sorry, but I just don't think it's a good idea," he shot back.

"Dude," Kurt said, looking a little irritated. "It's just a party." With a grin, he hopped up onto the table, dancing as he said, "Time to shake that tail! Woo hoo! Party, party, party!"

Alex, Evan, and Augustus laughed. Scott around the quad to see if anyone was looking their way. Just as he turned his attention back to Kurt, the German mutant let his tail slip out from under the protection of his inducer.

"Hey, watch the tail!" he cried, grabbing Kurt by said tail and yanking him back down in his seat, causing Kurt to let out a loud, 'Ow!' "Now, see," Scott said, fuming, "That's exactly what I'm talking about!"

"You pulled my tail, man!" Kurt shot back, just as angry as the older boy.

"Grow up, Kurt!"

"Hey, lighten up, dude!"

"You're always goofing around!"

"And you're seriously cramping my style!"

"Listen," Scott began, but Kurt cut him off.

"No, you listen! There's a sound I want you to hear! And it's -" With a familiar bamf, Kurt disappeared, leaving Scott coughing and waving away the dark cloud of smoke left in his wake.

Scott dropped his head into one hand, before looking up at the other four mutants. "Blew it, didn't I?"

"Oh yeah," Jean said.

"Totally," Evan added.

"You definitely could've handled it better," Alex put in with a firm nod.

"Great," Scott muttered, frowning.

* * *

><p>Todd hopped around the corner, the gizmo Rogue had thrown in the dumpster clutched tightly in his hands. A wide grin was stretched across his face, a twinkle of mischief is his yellow eyes. After changing into his battle suit in the restroom, he decided to see if Principal Darkholme's office was vacant. He had a new policy he was just dying to put into effect.<p>

Not expecting anyone to be in the hall between classes, he was surprised when he bumped into someone. He fell backward, landing hard on his butt. His hands tightened around the arms of the gizmo, his finger hitting the button that activated it.

Bridget stumbled backwards a little, trying to keep her balance and failing. She landed on her butt with a thud, groaning at the pain the fall brought on. With the soles of her feet off of the ground, she couldn't see who she'd run into to.

"What's that?" she asked, shocked when a buzzing reached her ears, steadily growing louder. The air around her suddenly felt different and she scrambled to her feet, starting to feel a little panicky. "What's going on?"

Todd watched as one of the kids from that academy, Rosemund's, was engulfed in a dome of yellow and pink light. It was the blind girl that always wore shades and never carried a walking stick. Just like the dumpster outside, she disappeared when the dome did.

"Uh, oops," he said, staring at the spot she'd been standing in seconds before. With a shrug, he got back to his feet and headed once more for Principal Darkholme's office. There wasn't anything he could do for the blonde girl now. Besides, it was an accident. He hadn't intended to zap her with the gizmo.

* * *

><p>Bridget spun around, the vibrations sent out by her shoes revealing an empty corridor of Bayville High. She could hear the occasional chatter of students traveling down the hall to their next classes, but no vibrations were reaching her. She couldn't 'see' anyone around!<p>

"Bridget never came back from the restroom," she heard Inara's voice say from somewhere behind her. It sounded like the brunette was headed her way.

"Inara?" she called, spinning around. There were still no vibrations. Still nothing to indicate anyone was in the corridor with her.

"That's weird," James' voice mused, definitely closer to her than Inara's had been seconds before. "You think she ditched?"

"Why would she?" Inara shot back, her voice sounding like she was walking right past the blonde girl.

"James! Inara!" Bridget cried, starting to really panic now. "I'm right here!"

"I don't know," James said, his voice a little further down the hall. "If she's not in Chemistry, we'll find Jean. Maybe she can locate her with her telepathy."

"Okay," Inara agreed, her voice tinged with worry.

"Guys!" Bridget called out in the direction their voices were coming from, one hand stretched out in front of her. "Come back! I'm right here! I'm right HERE!"

* * *

><p>"She wasn't there," James told Inara as he approached her locker, his worry now evident in his tone.<p>

Before she could respond, the lockers around them shook violently. "Lance!" she gasped, her eyes widening. Slamming her locker shut, she grabbed James' wrist. "Come on!"

"How can you tell where it's coming from?" James asked, arching an eyebrow at the back of her head as she led him through the school.

"I don't know," she said, shaking her head as she pulled him around a corner. A little ways down the hall, Lance and Fred were facing off against Jean and Scott, respectively. "I just can," she finished, staring at the unspoken leader of the Brotherhood.

"What's going on here!" Principal Darkholme shouted as she marched past them, stopping a few feet away to place her hands on her hips. The students that had gathered around to watch quickly dispersed, but Inara and James stayed where they were.

"We weren't doin' nothin'," Fred said, still holding Scott up by the back of his shirt.

"Yeah," Lance added as Fred finally dropped Scott. "Summers here just went ballistic on us for no reason!"

"Why don't I believe that?" James muttered to Inara, who remained silent.

"Oh, I've got a reason!" Scott said, straightening up, his hands clenched in tight fists.

"Scott," Jean warned, reaching out to the brunette teen.

"Quiet," Principal Darkholme snapped. "You two," she added, pointing to Scott and Jean, "In my office. Now."

Lance chuckled, raising his hand, fingers in the shape of a 'L', to his forehead as Scott and Jean walked past him. His cocky smile faded a little when his eyes landed on a glowering Inara.

"Come on, James," she said, turning her back on the geokinetic. "Let's go wait for Jean outside of Principal Darkholme's office."

"So we can get caught skipping class?" he asked.

"Do you really care about that right now?" she snapped. A faint creaking could be heard outside the school.

"No," James quickly replied, glancing nervously at the nearest window. "Not if it means finding out Bridget's okay."

* * *

><p>"Okay, Bridget," the blonde muttered to herself, reaching up with one hand to brush away the tears traveling down her cheeks. "Get a hold of yourself. You just have to figure out what's going on."<p>

Taking a deep breath, she wrapped her arms tightly around her and began walking through the somewhat deserted corridor. She flinched as a loud crash accompanied by a violent ripple of burnt orange light let her know that something heavy had just hit the ground a few corridors over.

When she heard, and 'saw', a second crash, she took off running in that direction. _Please let somebody be there_, she pleaded in her mind.

She increased her speed after a third crash, hope flooding her being. She turned the last corner just in time to hear a cry of surprise right before a familiar bamf sounded through the corridor. "Kurt?" she called out.

The only answer she got was a loud crash that made her cry out in surprise. The intense ripple of burnt orange light revealed a convertible in the middle of the corridor, looking as though it had been dropped from the ceiling. Relief flooded her being not only at the fact that she had stopped a few feet from where the car had landed, but also because the distinct smell of brimstone reached her nose.

"Kurt," she called again, more certain this time that he must be nearby. She took off running again, listening hard for the sound that accompanied the other teen's mutant ability. Occasionally, she would sniff the air, hoping to pick up traces of brimstone and sulfur.

* * *

><p>Principal Darkholme rushed past Inara and James, mumbling something about missing office furniture. The two teens shared a look before darting forward to look into the open door of the principal's office. They blinked, looking around the now empty office in shock. Scott and Jean were standing at the far window, looking down at something in the school yard.<p>

"Jean," Inara called, getting the attention of the two older teens. Just as she was about to continue, a transparent Kurt appeared briefly in the middle of the room.

"Scott, look!" Jean cried before raising her hands to her temples.

"It's Kurt," he said, then added uncertainly, "Or his ghost."

"No," Jean said, looking at him. "I got a brief mental reading. It's like he's trapped somewhere."

Inara and James exchanged worried looks as Scott turned to look out of the window once more, "I think we'd better have a talk with the Toad."

"Toad?" Inara said, stepping into the office. "What's he got to do with this?"

"We just saw him use some kind of device to make Principal Darkholme's car disappear," Jean informed them. Remembering that Inara had said her name before they had seen Kurt, she asked, "Were you two looking for me?"

"Bridget's missing," James said, stepping up beside Inara. "We were wondering if you could use your telepathy to locate her. We just want to know she's alright."

A worried look crossed Scott's features as Jean nodded slowly. Closing her eyes, she searched the school for Bridget, then the city, and finally Rosemund Academy. Like when she'd done the same thing in search of Kurt earlier, she found no trace of the blonde anywhere.

"I can't sense her anywhere," she said, slowly lowering her hands as she opened her eyes to look at the three anxiously awaiting teens. "Just like Kurt, it's like she doesn't exist."

"I want to be there when you talk to Toad," Inara said in a determined tone.

"Of course," Scott agreed with a nod.

"And I'm going to go get Miss Latimer," James stated, pulling his keys out of his pocket. "She can help us figure out what that gizmo does."

"When you get back, just call out to me telepathically," Jean told him. At his confused look, she added, "Just think clearly what you want to say and then focus that on me. I'll try to keep track of you without invading your privacy."

"Okay," he said with a nod before darting out of the office.

"Jean, contact Kitty and Evan," Scott told Inara. Jean nodded before placing her hands on her temples one more, while Scott turned to Inara. "Does she need to contact Alex, Ailana, and Augustus, too?"

Inara shook her head, pulling her droid out of her back pocket. "I'll text them. Once we find Toad, I'll let them know where to meet us."

"Alright," Scott said, switching into leader mode. "Let's go."

* * *

><p>Bridget's hope was starting to wan. Though she was positive she'd heard the bamf, smelled the brimstone, she couldn't find Kurt anywhere. He wasn't in the cafeteria, the science lab, or any of the classrooms she'd past. Maybe, like all the other students, he wasn't really here.<p>

"No," she said to herself, shaking her head to clear away that depressing thought. "He's here somewhere."

With that determined thought, she headed toward the gymnasium. She blocked out the random bursts of chatter that occasionally filled the halls as she walked, straining her ears for the distinct, lilting German accent. As she neared the doors to the gymnasium, she finally heard it.

"I know I look strange, but," there were two bamfs, indicating that the blue teen had teleported from one spot to another within a few feet of the first, "there _are_ some fringe benefits."

Excitement fluttered through her and she took off running again, barely catching the other, unfamiliar, male voice's reply.

"Trippy! I thought I was the only one."

A ripple of burnt orange light slid over two figures, one easily recognizable to the blind girl. She didn't really take the time to study what she could see of the other boy. Instead, she headed straight for Kurt, feeling ready to explode with happiness at the fact that she did, indeed, have a friend in this strange place.

"Kurt!" she cried, throwing her arms around the surprised teen in a tight hug. "Thank God you're here! I bumped into someone in the hall and there was this weird noise! Then I was suddenly here! Where ever here is. I keep hearing people talking but I can't see anyone! I thought I was alone!"

"Bridget?" Kurt asked, blinking at the girl who was hugging him like he was her last lifeline. It took him a minute to decipher the words in her emotional ramble, but once he did, he lightly hugged her back. "It's okay, Bridget," he said as he pulled away from her. "You aren't alone. Uh, this is Forge," he said gesturing to the other teen. "Forge, this is Bridget."

"Nice to meet you," Bridget said, turning her face in the other boy's direction.

"You, too," he replied, and she could hear the warm smile in his tone. "So, what do you got in that bag?" he asked, turning to Kurt and gesturing to his school bag.

* * *

><p>"Aww," Todd groaned, hopping for his life with the gizmo still clutched tightly in his hands.<p>

"There he goes," Scott yelled, chasing after the younger mutant. Jean, Kitty, and Evan were right behind him, all of them dressed in their battle uniforms.

"I am definitely calling Mum this weekend," Inara muttered as she followed Evan, still dressed in the outfit she'd worn to school.

Scott shot a blast of red energy at Toad, resulting in Toad spinning around mid hop to shoot at them with the gizmo, growling, "Take that!"

"Shadowcat down!" Jean cried, darting out of the way of the blast.

Kitty gasped, quickly phasing into the ground so that the blast shot past her, hitting a fountain instead. A small geyser of water shot up out of the ground after the fountain vanished from sight.

* * *

><p>Kurt cried out in surprise as the fountain appeared in the air beside him before falling to the floor. Bridget flinched at the ripple of light the crash caused as Kurt turned toward Forge.<p>

"Man," he said, jerking his thumb over his shoulder toward the fountain as he went on, "someone's really giving that gizmo of yours a workout."

"That 'gizmo' is a trans-dimensional projector," Forge told Kurt, briefly looking up at the younger boy. "My science fair project back in '78." He went back to working on whatever it was he was creating from the things he'd taken out of Kurt's bag as he continued. "When I fired it up, it created this pocket dimension that I call Middleverse. I got caught in the ray myself and I've been here ever since."

"78?" Kurt asked in a confused tone. "But you still look -"

"Like I did then," Forge cut him off, looking up at Kurt and nodding. "I know. I can't explain it." He returned his attention to his project as Kurt hopped off of the table. "They shut down and locked my lab after the accident. Everyone was totally freaked when I disappeared."

"So," Bridget said, feeling a little crestfallen. "There's no way back."

"Not without help from the other side," Forge told them, shaking his head. "But I'm thinking Kurt may be able to help out on that. And man, I'm telling' ya, I'm ready to go home."

The sound of girls giggling reached Bridget's ears, but she'd become accustom to the sounds of the real world popping in and out of this dimension now. She could tell by the direction the voices were traveling that the two girls they belonged to were heading for the locker room.

A ripple of orange light revealed Kurt reaching up to smooth his hair back and Bridget assumed the ghostly figures of the girls were walking past him at that moment. She rolled her eyes, a small, amused grin donning her lips.

"So," Kurt mused, his tone making Bridget's smile turn into a frown. "How far does this Middleverse extend?"

"Stops just short of the girls locker room," Forge replied in a dull tone. "Isn't that a burn?"

"Boys," Bridget muttered with another roll of her eyes. She couldn't see the sheepish grin Kurt sent her way.

"Ha!" Forge exclaimed, a soft, whirring noise alerting Bridget that his left hand had returned to its original state. "Done!"

"Vhat is it?" Kurt asked.

"This little baby will alter the phase shift frequency of your teleport power," Forge explained.

"Uh, my English is a little limited," Kurt told him.

"You can teleport back to the real world," Forge and Bridget said at the same time. 'Seeing' them both turn to look at her, she shrugged and said by way of explanation, "I live with a technopath."

"Alright!" Kurt said, turning back to Forge with a grin.

"But only for a sec," Forge warned. "These batteries don't have much power. Still, with luck, you can tell somebody how to reset the projector to get us back."

"Uh, I just hope they don't think I'm joking," Kurt said, placing his hands over his eyes and shaking his head. When he noticed Forge's confused look, he added, "I kinda have that rep."

"If they go get Miss Latimer," Bridget chimed in, "She can figure it out. The projector is technological, after all."

* * *

><p>The four X-Men stood under a tree, where Todd was hunched on a high branch. "Get lost!" he called down to them. "I'm warning ya!"<p>

Scott raised a hand to his visor, but before he could release a blast of red energy, the tree shuddered. The branch Todd was on suddenly twisted unnaturally, grabbing the amphibious mutant around the waist. With a cry of surprise, he dropped the gizmo.

"Got it!" Jean said, catching the gizmo with her telepathy and slowly lowering it until she could gently grab it with both hands.

"What the?" Todd said, struggling against the branch.

"Surprise, Toad," Inara said, stepping out from behind Scott. "The X-Men aren't the only ones who want to have a little chat with you."

"You're a mutant?" he asked, shock apparent on his features.

"Yes, I am," she replied, glaring up at him. "Now, what did you do to Bridget?"

"The blind chick?" he asked. The branch tightened its hold on him. "Okay, okay!" he cried, grimacing. "It was an accident, I swear! I ran into her on the way to Principal Darkholme's office and the gizmo went off!"

"And Kurt?" Scott asked, his hand still on the dial of his visor.

"I didn't do anything to that blue furred freak!" he snapped. Seconds later, he cried out again as the tree branch tightened around him once more.

"He didn't," Rogue's voice drifted over to them from where she was leaning against a nearby tree. "Ah did. If you all wanna find Blue Boy and the blonde, you'd better let him go," she added, pushing away from the tree.

Scott stood up, studying the goth girl for a minute before saying over his shoulder, "Inara."

Inara shot one last withering glare at Todd before the tree branch returned to its original position, dropping Todd to the ground with a thud. He scrambled to his feet, quickly hopping away before the chlorokinetic could change her mind.

Rogue waited until Todd was out of sight before she said, "Follow me." Turning, she headed for the lab she'd discovered Kurt in earlier, not bothering to look back to make sure they were following her. "This is where Blue Boy disappeared," she said, stepping into the room leading to the lab.

Scott walked over to were Kurt's image inducer lay on the floor. He bent down to pick it up before straightening and pointing at Rogue. "If you hurt him, I'm gonna -"

"You start threatenin' me," she said, cutting him off, pointing back at him with one hand on her hip. "And you're never gonna fahnd your friend."

"Whoa, take it easy, Cyclops," Jean said, coming to stand between the two glaring teens.

* * *

><p>"Yeah, Cyclops," Kurt said, the trio trapped in the Middleverse watching the exchange. "Just like I'm always telling you."<p>

* * *

><p>"Yo, guys," Kitty called. Everyone, including those in the Middleverse, gave her their attention. "We've been running a diagnostic on this thing."<p>

"Can you believe it?" Evan said, holding the projector out for Kitty to examine. "It uses CPM. I mean, talk about retro, man."

"It's putting out some kind of like, steady low power pulse wave that just seems to disappear into thin air," Kitty added.

"And that means what exactly?" Scott asked, flourishing his hands about.

"Well, we figure that the pulse has trapped the 'Crawler and Bridge in some other dimension," Evan said, causing excitement to run through the trio in Middleverse.

"Kay," Scott said, reaching up to place a hand on the dial of his visor. "So let's trash this thing."

* * *

><p>"No! No! They've got it all wrong!" Forge cried, rushing over to place his hands on Kurt's shoulders. "If they destroy the projector, we'll be trapped here forever!"<p>

"What?" Bridget cried.

* * *

><p>Scott placed the projector on a wooden table. "Everyone stand back, I'm gonna use full power. This could get messy!"<p>

"Um, you know, I could just, like, phase through the gizmo and, like, quietly short it out," Kitty said from where she stood beside Jean. Scott and Evan gave her blank looks in response. She chuckled a little. "Right. Forget I mentioned it." In a whisper to Jean, she added, "Like, what is it with guys and explosions anyway?"

"Heh," Jean said, her arms crossed.

* * *

><p>"Forge! Hurry!" Kurt cried as the other boy put some finishing touches on the device Kurt was now wearing. "They're going to nuke the projector any second!"<p>

* * *

><p><em>Uh, Jean?<em> James' voice rang through the telepath's head. _I'm back with Miss Latimer._

_Alright_, she replied, raising her hands to her temples. _We're at the back of the school. I'll send some mental images._

It was silent for a minute after she sent the images to the other teen's mind. Then, _Got it. We're on our way._

"James is back with Miss Latimer," she said out loud as Scott turned back to the gizmo.

Upon hearing that, Inara darted forward. "Scott, wait!" she cried, planting herself between Scott and the table.

* * *

><p>"Inara!" Bridget gasped, turning her face in the direction of her friend's voice. Both Forge and Kurt froze, turning to watch the petite brunette.<p>

* * *

><p>"Inara, what -" Scott began, but Inara cut him off.<p>

"Miss Latimer's coming," she said. "Wouldn't you rather have her look at it than risk trapping them forever?" she asked, a hint of desperation in her voice.

"I don't," Scott began, but stopped at the look she gave him. His shoulders slouched as he moved his hand away from his visor. "Yeah," he said with a nod, "I would."

* * *

><p>"Yes!" Bridget cheered, pumping her fist in the air. "Way to go, Inara!"<p>

"Alright!" Kurt added, grinning.

* * *

><p>"Where is it?" Robin asked as she darted into the room. The teens pointed to the table, Inara moving out of the way so that the technopath could see the projector. She quickly moved to pick it up. "It's a trans-dimensional projector," she murmured, 'listening' to the voice only she could hear.<p>

"How do we get Nightcrawler and Bridget back?" Jean asked, stepping closer.

"We need to reset it," Robin told them, turning the projector around to look at the buttons on the back of it.

* * *

><p>"Score!" Forge and Kurt cried together, sharing a high five before they were both pulled into a hug by a beaming Bridget.<p>

* * *

><p>"Here we go," Robin said, hitting the restart button. She placed the projector back on the table, facing away from everyone, as it began shaking. A blast of yellow light shot out from it, creating a swirling yellow and pink dome in which they could see Forge, Kurt, and Bridget.<p>

"Come on!" Scott shouted, cupping his hands around his mouth. "Teleport through!"

"Hang on," Kurt told Forge and Bridget, preparing to teleport. "Let's go!"

"We can't," Forge said. "There's not enough juice to teleport three people in those batteries!" He pointed to the batteries in the device Kurt was wearing, which were crackling with energy. "We need a little more to get us all home!"

"Look!" Kurt yelled, pointing to the slowly shrinking portal.

"What?" Bridget asked.

"The portal won't last much longer," Forge said. "It's now or never!"

"What's the matter?" Scott yelled. "Let's go!"

"Another power source," Kurt mused. "I know!" he said, grabbing Forge's wrist with one hand a Bridget's with the other. "Come on!"

"What're they doing?" Evan cried as the trio disappeared with a bamf.

"I don't know!" Scott said, shaking his head. "But I hope they hustle!"

"There they are!" Todd's voice called from behind them. Turning around, they saw Todd, Lance, Fred, and Damion enter the room, all dressed in their battle uniforms. "And they still got that Vap-Ray I was telling you about!"

"Rogue," Lance said. "Mystique sent us to find you. So, you with us? Or them?"

"Mystique," Scott said, turning to look down at Rogue. "You workin' for her?"

"Hey, Summers," she replied, poking him in the chest. "You got your friends, Ah got mine." She turned and headed for the door. "But this ain't my fight. I'm outta here."

"Okay," Fred said, turning back from watching her leave. He held out his hand, making a 'give it here' motion. "Fork it over, losers!"

"Or this place is gonna rock!" Lance added, stepping forward and slamming his foot down, sending a small tremor through the ground.

"The projector stays with us!" Cyclops said. "X-Men! And Inara," he added, "Keep that portal open!"

"Your call!" Lance said. He slammed his foot down again, sending a bigger tremor through the floor. Pieces of ceiling rained down on the X-Men as the Brotherhood boys rushed them.

* * *

><p>"Groovy ride!" Forge said when the trio reached their destination. "But where's this power source?"<p>

"Check it," Kurt said pointing to the convertible in the middle of the corridor.

"Far out, man!" Forge cried, his arm morphing with a soft whir as he jogged over to the car.

"I swear," Kurt said, placing his hands on his hips. "That homie's lingo is so whack." Bridget snickered, but didn't comment.

* * *

><p>"Come on!" Fred taunted Scott. "Hit me with your best shot, Slim!" Scott reached up to turn the dial on his visor, blasting Blob with a beam of red energy. Blob stumbled backward a few steps, but didn't go down. "Huh! It takes a lot more than that to stop the Blob!"<p>

"Thanks for the tip," Scott said before turning to the redhead beside him. "Jean!"

Jean raised her hands to her temples as Scott turned back to the Blob, turning the dial on his visor once more. A red beam of energy hit the ground, cutting a circle around Blob. Using her telekinesis, Jean lifted the now loose piece of concrete up, jerking it out from underneath the large mutant. Blob fell back into the hole that was now in the floor, landing on his back with an 'Oof!'

Lance backed Kitty against a wall, saying, "You and me got a date, Pretty Kitty. How 'bout a ride on the concrete coaster!"

Kitty cried out in surprise when the ground under her feet rolled, throwing her backward. She glanced over her shoulder, noticing she was heading straight for the wall. Quickly becoming intangible, she past through the wall unharmed. Jumping back out, she did a flip in the air, landing on her feet in front of Lance.

"Lousy ride, loser!"

Evan shot a few spikes at Damion, only to have the other boy block them with a large shield on his forearm made out of bone. Damion smirked at Evan's shocked look, sending a few of his own spikes back. Evan jumped out of the way, getting over the shock of finding out Damion shared his abilities, and sent a barrage of spikes at the Brotherhood boy.

"Come on!" Todd taunted, hopping in a circle around Inara. "Come on, what you got? You ain't got nothing in here!"

He landed in front of her, his legs tensing as he prepared to jump over her head so that he could make for the projector. Smirking, she bent her own legs, jumping at the exact same moment he did. Delivering a roundhouse kick to the boy's chest, she sent him flying backward, effectively ceasing his cocky laughter.

"I'd call that something," she said as she landed in a crouch.

* * *

><p>The car sounded horrible, but it was running. Wires traveled from the vehicle's battery to connect with the device Kurt was wearing. Kurt sat in the driver's seat with Forge in the passenger seat and Bridget squeezed between them, as there were only two seats.<p>

"You sure this will work?" Kurt asked, looking at Forge over Bridget's head.

"No," the other boy replied honestly.

"Wunderbar," Kurt said with a roll of his eyes. "Let's hit it!" he cried, slamming his foot down on the accelerator. The car took off down the corridor before disappearing with a bamf.

* * *

><p>The four X-Men, Inara, and Robin stood in front of the table holding the projector, facing the four advancing Brotherhood members.<p>

"Okay," Blob said, sounding agitated. "Enough of the warm ups. Time for some serious smashin'!"

A car horn honked from behind the X-Men, where the portal was. Glancing behind him, Scott cried, "Look out!"

The X-Men and their two allies dived out of the way just in time for a car to come flying out of the portal. A loud squealing could be heard as Kurt slammed on the brakes, the car heading straight for the Brotherhood boys. With looks of terror on their faces, Lance, Damion, and Todd jumped behind Fred, who braced himself for the impact. The car crashed into his stomach, the front end scrunching up as the air bags deployed.

"Huh. Whoa," Fred said, looking down at the totaled vehicle. "Good thing I'm the Blob.

"Yeah, you can say that again," Todd muttered, eyeing the wreckage.

"Aw, come on, guys," Lance said, disappointment lacing his voice upon seeing the smashed projector on the ground behind the car. "This party's over." His teammates followed him out without a word to their opponents.

"What the heck are these?" Forge asked, testing one of the air bags.

"Re-entry cushions," Kurt replied with a grin. "Cool, eh?"

"I'll go let James and the others know Bridget's okay," Robin said as she headed out of the room.

"Inara!" Bridget shouted happily. She climbed out of the car and darted forward to pull the younger girl into a hug. "Am I happy to see you!"

"I'm happy to see you, too, Bridge," Inara replied with a laugh, returning the blonde's hug.

* * *

><p>"So, are we hittin' Matthews' party?" Augustus asked, sticking his head out of the back window of James' car.<p>

"Let me go give this to Kurt," Inara said, holding up the newly repaired image inducer Robin had handed to James earlier. "And I'll ask."

She headed for the red and white convertible parked a little ways away.

"Maybe," she heard Scott begin before sighing and continuing on as he looked over his shoulder at Kurt, "Maybe you're right. I take things too seriously. I need to lighten up some."

"That's an understatement," she said with a grin, propping her arm on the top of the windshield.

"Oh, Scott," Jean teased. "Not you!"

"Check his temperature," Kitty added with a grin. "Mr. Military's going soft!"

"Yeah," Kurt said before admitting, "And I could probably dial down the goofing a little."

"Ah, welcome back," Scott told the younger boy, bumping his knuckles against Kurt's.

"So," Inara began, drawing the word out. "Will you lot be joining us at the party?"

"Oh, I can't go," Kitty fumed, crossing her arms under her chest. "I'm, like, a freshman!"

"And my holo-watch's busted," Kurt grumbled.

"You mean this one?" Inara asked, grinning as she spun the restored watched on her index finger. "Miss Latimer worked her magic on it," she said, tossing it to him. "It's good as new."

"Really?" Kurt asked excitedly, catching the watch and quickly putting in on. He pressed a button, letting out an excited yell when his 'normal' image flickered to life around him. "Alright!"

"And Ailana's a Freshman, too," Inara told Kitty. "She's still going."

"Don't worry," Jean said, placing her hand on Kitty's shoulder. "We'll make it happen."

"Looks like we will be joining you," Scott told Inara.

"Brilliant!" she said, turning to head back to where Alex waited on his motorcycle. "See you there!"

"Let's roll!" Kurt cried as Scott started the car.

He pulled out of the parking spot, following the motorcycle that shot past the car seconds before. Glancing in the rear view mirror, he saw James' car following behind his. With a smirk, he wondered if Duncan Matthews knew what he had gotten himself into, inviting all of them.

* * *

><p>Whew! Another long one! Hope you enjoyed it! Also, if you've already reviewed chapter six before I deleted the first two chapters and don't feel like signing out, you can always PM me with a review! Whatever is more convenient for you is fine with me! :)<p> 


	7. Turn of the Rogue

Woo hoo! Chapter Seven's up! Okay, so a few of you PMed me your review for the last chapter, or are waiting to review this chapter(I hope!), so not many reviews to respond to. If I haven't gotten around to replying to a review you sent via PM, I'll be doing that as soon as this is posted!

Random Kat - You're welcome. Sorry this update took a bit longer. It took me a while to get one part of this chapter the way I wanted it. I hope I'm doing okay with Annie! Haven't had her have a random burst of anger yet, but it's coming!

That-Crazy-Girl-In-Your-Dreams - Thanks! :) I'm glad you enjoyed it! And yes, Robin helped to save the day. That wasn't originally the plan, but I was like, eh, she's a technopath. It's an old gizmo. Why not let her have a go at it?

KitKat12323 - Glad you think it was more interesting with the OCs! Yeah, I had the teacher call them out in that order on purpose. Just thought I'd slip a bit of humor in. Glad you found it funny! Means I wasn't the only one!

Haretrigger - Yay! Someone else who liked my play on Evan's and Augustus' last names! I enjoyed writing Evan finding out Damion shares his ability. Robin was not supposed to save the day, but I felt it worked out better than the original plan. And yes, Bridget got a bit of screen time. Ha ha! The Seeds! That's so epic! I may just have to use that now! Even if some may find it a bit corny!

A bit of info here. A reader asked if I could elaborate an everyone's age. Since I'm not exactly sure how old everyone actually is, I guesstimated based on variables I stumbled across in the show. As for the OCs, while some of them have maintained the age their creators submitted to me, a few have been changed. If you have any issues with your OC's new age, please let me know. So, here are the ages starting at the beginning of the series in regards to this fic: Scott, Jean, Lance, Fred - 17; Rogue, Pietro, Wanda, Kurt - 16; Kitty, Evan, Todd - 15. And the OCs are as follows: James, Madison - 17; Alex, Bridget, Emily, Augustus, Damion - 16; Inara (Now 16), Annastasia, Liron - 15, Ailana -14.

One more thing and then I swear I'll let you get on with the story! This chapter actually takes place the weekend before Turn of the Rogue. So Rogue's still with the Brotherhood in this chapter, but won't be the next. If you see any mistakes, let me know and I'll fix 'em! And now, enjoy chapter seven!

* * *

><p>"Our ranks have grown exponentially," Mystique, under the guise of Raven Darkholme, said as she sat behind her desk. Her elbows rested on top of the desk, her chin resting on the back of her entwined fingers. "I fear the boarding house is much too small to accommodate all our members comfortably."<p>

"Yes," a deep voice replied from behind her. She didn't bother turning to face the tall, mysterious figure. "I agree. I have arranged the purchase of the dwelling next door to the boarding house." A set of keys jingled as they moved through the air before settling on the corner of the desk. "I feel it best if the young women we have recruited move into this new residence."

"Of course," Mystique said with a nod, reaching out to pick up the keys. "And what about the other issue?"

"Ah, yes," the voice mused. "The mutant inhabitants of the Rosemund Academy. They will need to be included in our plans. Of course, it would be nice to know what abilities they posses before that time comes."

"That can be arranged," Mystique said, a sinister smirk forming on her lips.

* * *

><p>"What's the verdict?" James asked as Inara came back into the room.<p>

She moved to sit in one of the plush armchairs, tucking her legs underneath her. James, Alex, and Augustus were lounging on the large couch beside the chair, while Bridget and Ailana occupied the loveseat across from the couch.

"She'll do it," she replied with a grin. Glancing at Alex, she said, "And the Kevlar's not a problem."

"Seriously?" he asked, blinking.

"Seriously," she confirmed.

"And the body armor?" James asked.

"She'll have to make some calls, but she thinks she can get it."

"Your mom's the bomb!" Augustus cheered, pumping his fist into the air.

She laughed as she gathered up the sketches she'd drawn up of their uniforms. "I'll let her know you think so," she told him. "I just have to fax these over to her when we're done here."

"So," Bridget said. "Now that we've got our uniforms out of the way, what about codenames?"

This question brought on an onslaught of answers called out in loud voices. Not one codename mentioned during this onslaught was comprehensible.

"Hey!" James shouted, effectively shutting everyone up. "Let's do this one at a time," he suggested. "So we can actually hear each other. We'll start with Alex."

"Energizer Bunny!" Augustus immediately shouted out, grinning. Inara, Bridget, and Ailana burst into fits of laughter.

"Ha ha," Alex replied dryly, trying to glare at Augustus. He couldn't stop the small, amused grin that stretched across his lips, though.

"Hmm," Bridget said. "How 'bout Astro?"

"No thanks," Alex grumbled. "I am _not _a cartoon dog."

"What about Converter?" Ailana offered.

Alex considered the name for a minute, mouthing it silently, before shaking his head. "I don't know," he said. "I'm not really feeling it."

"Oh!" Inara said, her eyes widening. "What about Dynamo?"

"Dynamo?" Alex echoed. With a look of consideration, he tested it out. "The name's Dynamo." A wide grin stretched across his lips. "Yeah, I like it!"

"What does it mean?" Augustus asked, turning to Inara.

"It has two possible meanings," she said, "The first is a machine that converts mechanical energy into electrical energy. I thought about it when Ailana suggested Converter. The second meaning is a hard-working, tirelessly energetic person."

"That fits almost perfectly," James mused with a chuckle.

"How do you know these things off the top of your head?" Ailana asked, a slight hint of awe in her voice.

"My dad's an author, remember," Inara said with a nonchalant shrug. "He taught me that the best way to learn new words is to read the dictionary."

"You read the dictionary?" Augustus asked, looking at her like she was crazy.

"A few times," she replied.

"Wow," he muttered, shaking his head.

"Okay," James said, getting them back on track. "So Alex, you're good with Dynamo?"

"Oh yeah," he confirmed with a grin and a firm nod.

"Alright, Alex's codename is officially Dynamo. Next up will be Inara," James said.

"Greenhouse?" Augustus suggested.

"No, Flora," Ailana put in.

"What about Ivy?" Alex offered.

"No," Bridget said before Inara could offer her opinion on any of the already suggested names. Grinning in the chlorokinetic's direction, she said, "I've got the perfect codename for you."

"Oh?" Inara asked, arching an eyebrow. "And what's that?"

"Nymph," Bridget stated. The gathered teens blinked a few times before grins slowly spread across their faces.

"Totally!" Ailana agreed.

"Good one, Bridge!" Alex said. "You're right, it _is _perfect!"

"I can see it!" Augustus added, his grin widening.

"I have to admit," James said with a chuckle. "That's a good one. Inara?"

"I bloody love it!"

"Alright," James said with a nod, still grinning. "Inara's codename is officially Nymph. Let's move right along to Ailana."

"Thermos!" Augustus cried.

"She's not something you drink out of, Aug," Bridget said with a giggle as Ailana threw one of the loveseat's plush pillows at him.

Silence settled over the group as everyone went into deep thought. Occasionally, one of them would open their mouths to say something, but immediately close it again, shaking their head. After a few minutes, James spoke up. "What about Pele?"

"What's that?" Augustus asked.

"It's the Hawaiin goddess of fire," Ailana informed him as she considered the name.

"It definitely fits," Inara said after a minute of silence.

"Okay," Ailana said, grinning. "Pele it is."

"Ailana's codename is officially Pele," James said with a nod. "Now Bridget."

"Lodestone," Alex said immediately.

"What?" Inara asked the question on everyone's mind. Well, everyone except James.

"Lodestone," Alex repeated. Seeing the blank looks one four of the five faces looking at him, he explained, "It's a magnetized rock that was used in the first compasses. I figure it fits because she has a rock form _and _she can 'see' through the vibrations in ground."

"Bridget?" James asked.

Everyone turned to look at Bridget as she mulled over Alex's suggestion. After a minute or so, she slowly nodded, a grin stretching across her lips. "Yeah, okay," she agreed.

"Alright," James said. "Bridget's codename is officially Lodestone. Augustus is up next."

"Twister, since that's all he can do," Alex said with a snicker.

"Hey!" Augustus shot back, hitting him with the pillow Ailana had thrown at him earlier. "I'm getting better at other things!"

"But you can't deny that twisters are your specialty," Inara said. "So it should be something to that effect."

"Vortex?" Ailana offered.

"Yeah!" Bridget chimed in. "Vortex is good!"

"Vortex," Augustus said, trying it out for himself. "Yeah, it does have a nice ring to it. Alright, I'll be Vortex!"

"Looks like Augustus' codename is officially Vortex," James said. "Which leaves me."

"Oh!" Augustus said. Everyone expected him to blurt out some random name like he'd done with Ailana. So they were rather surprised when he said, "How 'bout Legion?"

"That," Inara began slowly, surprise evident in her voice, "is actually an excellent suggestion."

"Is it really that surprising?" Augustus grumbled.

"Yeah," Alex replied, nodding.

"What do you think, James?" Bridget asked.

James was quiet as he thought about it. Then he nodded, "Yeah, I like it. Legion will be my official codename."

"Aw, man!" Augustus said, grinning excitedly, his previous annoyance with the others forgotten. "We've got codenames!"

"Now we need a team name," Ailana said.

"Any suggestions?" James said. Seeing five mouths open at once, he quickly added, "One at a time!"

"The X-Men are named after Professor Xavier, right?" Alex said, getting nods from the others in response. "Then we should be named after Miss Rosemund."

"I agree," Inara said.

"But what could we call ourselves?" Ailana said.

"We can't be the R-Men," Augustus put in. "It'd be unoriginal."

"We could always shorten Rosemund to just rose," Inara suggested. "And try to find something in that."

"What about the Rosebuds?" Ailana offered with a shrug.

"Nah, too soft," Alex said, dismissing the name.

"The Thorns," Bridget threw in. "It ties in with rose and it's not too soft."

"The Thorns," Alex repeated slowly. "It does sound pretty awesome."

"And we could have a catch phrase!" Augustus said. "We'll be the 'Thorns in our enemies sides'!"

"That's really corny, Aug," Ailana said, Bridget nodding her agreement.

"Oh!" Inara said, eyes twinkling in excitement. "How about, 'Every Rose has her Thorns'!"

"Yeah!" Bridget said, grinning. "I like that!"

"It definitely sounds catchy," Alex mused.

"So, are we all in agreement?" James asked. "Are we going to be the Thorns?" The teens glanced around at each other before they all nodded. "Okay then," he said with a nod. "We're the Thorns. Anything else?"

"I nominate James as leader," Alex said. Ailana and Augustus turned to look at him in shock while Bridget and Inara looked deep in thought.

"Me?" James asked, blinking in surprise. "I figured you'd be leader. You've been here longer."

"But you're the one that's always calm and collected," Alex pointed out.

"He has a point," Inara said with a nod. "And he can always be second in command."

"Yeah," Bridget said, also nodding. "I agree."

"I'm good with being second in command," Alex said when James continued to look a little unsure.

"What about you two?" James asked Ailana and Augustus.

"Dude," Augustus said, grinning at the older boy as he admitted, "I know there's no way I could be leader. So I'm down with you being leader and Alex being second in command."

"You're the best choice for leader," Ailana added. "And I have no objections to Alex being second in command, either."

"I guess it's settled then," James said, still looking a little shocked at the outcome. "I'll be team leader with Alex as my second in command."

"Is that it, then?" Inara asked, looking around at her housemates.

"Unless anyone can think of anything else," James said, also looking around. Everyone thought about it for a minute before shaking their heads. "Okay, then I guess this meeting is adjourned."

"Spoken like a true leader," Inara said with a giggle as she stood up, the sketches of their uniforms clutched tightly in her hands. "I'll go fax these to Mum right now. When she gives me an estimated time of completion, I'll let you know."

* * *

><p>"Can I come, yo?" Todd asked as he hopped along behind Lance.<p>

The earth manipulator had his keys clutched tightly in his fingerless gloved hand, heading for the door. "No," he snapped in reply.

"Where're you goin' that I can't go?' Todd pressed, a frown tugging his lips down.

"None of your business," Lance snarled, his words accented by a small tremor as he threw the front door open.

"What's his problem, yo?" Todd mumbled to himself, flinching as Lance slammed the door closed behind him.

"Maybe he just wants some time to himself," Emily mused from where she sat on the couch, watching a horror movie marathon. Annastasia sat on one side of her, Damion on the other.

"Ah don't blame him," Rogue said from behind her book as Madison and Liron came out of the kitchen. They plopped down on a couple of bean bags in front of the couch. "This place is way too crowded."

* * *

><p>Inara sat on a low hanging branch, her back pressed against the trunk of the tree and one leg dangling below her. A book was resting on the leg she had folded in front of her on the wide branch.<p>

"You lookin' natural up there part of your mutation?" a deep voice asked from beneath her branch.

Looking down, she saw Lance leaning back against the tree trunk, his hands shoved deep in his pockets. "My father thinks so," she replied, marking her place with a book mark before closing her book. "Despite being called a girly-girl, I've always been completely comfortable in nature."

"I always know when a natural earthquake's about to happen," he admitted, his head down and his eyes locked on the grass beneath his boots.

"It makes sense," she mused, looking across the busy park to where Robin sat at a wooden picnic table, laptop open in front of her. "Professor Xavier believes we feel connected due to the fact that we're both connected to the Earth through our powers." She paused briefly, leaning over just slightly so that she could look down at him. "Do you get sick when you fly, too?"

"Yeah," he replied slowly, tilting his head back to look up at her. "But it's more than that. It's like something is taken away when I leave the ground. Like," he frowned, trailing off as he tried to find the best way to describe the feeling.

"Like you're leaving a part of yourself behind?" she finished quietly.

"Exactly," he said just as quietly, closing his eyes. It was silent for a few minutes before he spoke again. "This isn't going to turn out well."

She frowned, looking down at him once more. "What do you mean?"

"You're friends with the X-Geeks," he replied with a snort. "Me and the rest of the Brotherhood don't get along with them."

"So," she began, her frown deepening, "We can't be friends because I'm friends with the Xavier lot?"

"You're going to have to choose sides at some point, Inara," he said. He didn't bother to elaborate on that statement. They both knew who the Rosemund kids who end up siding with.

"What happens after that?" she asked softly, clutching her book to her chest as she looked down at him.

"Dunno," he replied with a shrug. "I guess we deal. Avoid each other in battle. It's not like we have an obligation to each other or anything. Hell, we just met about a month ago."

She slipped off of the tree branch, landing gracefully on her feet beside him. "So we ignore whatever this connection is between us?"

"Yeah," he said with a firm nod. "Maybe it'll go away. Or, at least, won't get any stronger."

"Maybe," she said slowly, biting her bottom lip. Somehow, she didn't think it was going to be that easy.

* * *

><p>Alex sat with his back pressed against the headboard of his bed, his guitar resting in his lap. With a practiced ease, he strummed out song after song, his eyes closed as he enjoyed what was left of his weekend.<p>

"Wow," Bridget's voice reached his ears. His eyes snapped open as his head turned toward the open door of his room. She was standing in the doorway, eyebrows raised over her ever present sunglasses. "You're really good," she told him, a hint of awe of her tone.

He shrugged, removing one hand from the guitar to reach up and rub the back of his neck. "I practice a lot," he said. "Since I don't sleep."

"Oh, right," she said, nodding a bit. "Anyway, Mr. Burden asked me to come get you. We're supposed to head out to the front lawn."

"He say why?" he asked, a slight frown on his face as he gently leaned the guitar against the wall beside his bed.

"No," she replied with a shake of her head. "Just said it was important."

He opened his mouth to say something, confusion clear on his features, but he didn't get the chance. The alarm system Robin had installed shortly after they're visit to the Xavier Institute suddenly went off.

"Alex! Bridget!" Tokugawa's voice called out over the intercom on the wall next to Alex's door. "To the front lawn! Now!"

"Come on!" Alex cried, heading for the stairs.

Bridget quickly followed, but being just under a foot shorter than him, she fell behind once they reached the stairs. While Alex took them two at a time, she was forced to hit every single one. This meant that Alex beat her to the front door, which he was quick to throw open. He barely dodged a bone spike as it flew through the air.

"Bridget, shift!" he yelled, spinning around with wide green eyes as he watched the spike hurtle toward the blonde.

Bridget's soft skin transformed into impenetrable rock a split second before the bone impacted her chest. She grunted a little at the force of the bone, but was otherwise unharmed. "Thanks," she said in her now deep, gravelly voice.

"No problem," he told her, relief flooding his entire being as he turned to head outside. He stopped short at the top of the front steps, his eyes widening once more at the sight before him.

Hunter was engaged in hand to hand combat with Rogue, both fairing pretty well. Occasionally, Rogue would try to lay a bare hand on the older man's skin, but he would obviously see it coming, dodging at the last second.

Ailana was fending off a large white wolf, using blasts of heat to knock the animal back every time it lunged at her. The wolf seemed intelligent, though, dodging heat blasts Ailana sent its way with ease and calculating its next move carefully before acting.

James had called upon three of his soldiers to do his fighting for him. The newest Brotherhood recruit, Liron, was their opponent. Her battle attire was all black and consisted of a tank top, form-fitting pants that moved with her body, combat boots, gloves, and an eye mask. Though she was outnumbered, she seemed to know the fighting style James was having his soldiers use, countering every attack with ease. James himself was frowning as he watched his creations battle the small teen.

Augustus was being assaulted by Pietro, clad in blue and white battle gear. The white haired teen was speeding past Augustus, sending a flurry of fists into his body each time and taunting him mercilessly. Becoming fed up with this routine rather quickly, Augustus let out an aggravated cry, throwing one hand out toward Pietro. A gust of wind obeyed his unspoken command, rushing forward and knocking the speed demon off his feet.

Upon seeing this, Blob let out a furious yell and began to charge toward Augustus. Bridget shifted back into her original form just long enough to rush past Alex and plant herself between Augustus and Blob. Shifting back into her heavy rock form, she braced her feet against the ground, her hands held out in front of her as she waited for the impact. Blob smirked, not slowing his charge, fully expecting to plow the girl down. When his stomach impacted her hands, she was pushed back a few inches, but remained standing as she effectively halted the Blob's charge.

Tokugawa was busy battling two teens. One was Todd, dressed in a hideous green suit with dark brown shoulder pads and a white dome on his back. The other was Madison, donning black skinny jeans with rips along the knees, a black military jacket, black combat boots, and black gloves. A green tank top could be seen under the jacket, revealing a strip of mid drift and a belly button ring. Todd seemed to be jumping higher than usual, while Tokugawa was fighting to remain standing, jets of blue flame flowing from his mouth and nose with each breath he took.

Damion was close to where Ailana was battling the white wolf. His battle attire was simple; a black, sleeveless bodysuit with a large, red skull on the front and black combat boots. When he saw that the wolf didn't immediately get back up after the last blast of heat it endured, he raised his hand. Pointing it at Ailana, whose back was turned to him, he sent a bone spike flying. Before it could hit its target, a green blast of energy knocked it off its path.

Damion turned in the direction the blast had come from to find Alex standing at the top of the front steps, one hand outstretched and still glowing green. Swinging his hands around, he sent two spikes in Alex's direction. Alex quickly diverted the spikes with a blast from one hand while releasing a much larger blast from his other. Damion was quick to form a bone shield on his left forearm to block the green energy.

The students of Rosemund Academy were so busy defending their home that they didn't notice the absence of a certain ebony haired girl with violet eyes.

* * *

><p>"Very good, Phantom," Mystique praised as she stepped out of the shadows. Emily, wearing a black bodysuit covered by a black trench coat, black knee-high boots, and black fingerless gloves, stepped out beside her. "Now, let's see what information we can obtain about this mansion's residence."<p>

With a smirk, she moved toward the computer that occupied one wall of the room they were in. Phantom pulled a small flash drive out of the pocket of her coat, handing it to Mystique. The blue skinned mutant quickly plugged the drive into the computer, causing the machine to come to life with a low hum.

It didn't take long for Mystique to hack into Gavin's files and extract the information she wanted. She watched with a satisfied smirk as profiles on each of the students, and the staff, were transferred onto the flash drive. Once the process was complete, she unplugged the flash drive.

"Alright, let's go," she said, stepping back to stand beside Phantom.

Phantom nodded, placing a hand on Mystique's shoulder before the shadows engulfed them. Traveling through shadows was an unusual sensation that sent chills down Mystique's spine, but it was over soon enough. They stepped out of the shadow of a large tree in the front lawn of the academy.

"We're done here!" she called out to her team.

Madison smirked and extended both hands. Tokugawa, Augustus, and Bridget, still in her rock form, slammed into the ground as their gravitational pulls increased exponentially. Pietro regained his footing, zipping over to tap the tip of his finger against Rogue's briefly. Using his borrowed abilities, she sped out of the iron gates Blob had busted down when they first arrived. Pietro was quick to follow, detouring only to scoop Liron from between the three soldiers she was still fighting.

Damion let loose a barrage of bone spikes that distracted Alex long enough for the osteokinetic to retreat. Toad sent a large dose of slime in Ailana's direction, hitting the girl in the face. While she scrambled to wipe the disgusting substance off, the white wolf bounded after Damion. Toad hopped after the wolf, sticking his tongue out at the Rosemund teens over his shoulder as he went.

Blob ambled over to stand on Phantom's other side, looking down at her a bit reluctantly. When she placed her free hand on his elbow, he visibly flinched before disappearing into the shadow of the tree. Madison's smirk grew as the tree's shadow returned to normal. She released her hold on the three mutants, immediately rising into the air. After blowing them a kiss, she turned and flew off.

"The hell was that about?" Alex managed to get out after a few minutes of staring at the shadow Mystique had disappeared into.

"I'm not sure," Hunter said, neither he nor Tokugawa bothering to reprimand Alex for his language. "But it can't be anything good."

* * *

><p>Jay burst into the dining room, azure blue eyes frantically taking in each of the younger teens seated around the large table. "Is everyone okay?" he asked, moving closer to Bridget to inspect her thoroughly.<p>

"We're fine, Jay," Augustus muttered in an annoyed tone as the older teen left Bridget to give him the same thorough inspection.

"I can't believe I wasn't here!" he hissed under his breath as he moved on to Ailana, who glowered up at him. "If anything had _happened _to any of you!"

"We can hold our own," Alex snapped irritably. "We don't need you babysitting us!"

"He has a point, Jay," Ava said as she calmly entered the dining room. "Stop being so over protective."

Jay stopped his inspection of Alex, who was glaring defiantly up at him, and turned to his girlfriend. "They could've been _hurt_, babe!"

"But they weren't," she pointed out, eyes flashing amaranth for one second.

"No," Crystal said as she entered the room, followed by the rest of the staff. "They weren't hurt. Though that's something to be thankful for, I fear we need to take extra precautions to ensure all of your safety in the future."

"What do you mean, Miss Rosemund?" James asked, the only sign of his curiosity being one eyebrow arched.

"I have spoken with Charles Xavier on this matter," she told them, looking around at each of her charges. "We both feel it best if you join in on the training sessions Logan holds. They usually have morning training sessions, but are willing to switch a few of them to evening sessions so that you all can attend. You will also attend a session every other Saturday. Jay, Ava, you will only attend the Saturday sessions, though you are free to visit the Xavier Institute on days you don't have classes."

"So," Inara began, a grin slowly spreading across her lips. "We'll be going to the Xavier Institute after school a few days a week?"

"Yes," Crystal confirmed with a nod.

"What about the training sessions we have here?" Ailana asked.

"You will continue with the training you receive here," Crystal informed them. "Here, we simply teach you how to control your powers. We want to prepare you for when your powers began to grow. Your training sessions with Logan will focus on using your powers during battle. With the Brotherhood targeting us now, I feel these lessons are necessary."

"Will one of you be going with us?" Bridget asked.

"Tokugawa will be accompanying you to the Xavier Institute. He will also assist Logan with the lessons." Crystal could tell her charges wanted to ask more questions, but she held up a hand to stop them. "It's still a school night," she reminded them. "So you all need to get ready for tomorrow. Make sure all of your homework is done, then get ready for bed."

Jay and Ava herded the six younger teens out of the room, some of them grumbling under their breath. Crystal waited until she was certain no one was eavesdropping before turning to Robin. "What's the damage?" she asked.

"She didn't cause any damage," Robin told her. "But she did take files on all of us. Luckily, all she got was basic information. Names, ages, birthdates. Of course, she now has descriptions of all of our powers, but that's as far as it goes. None of our weaknesses or fears were in the files."

Crystal sighed, reaching up to rub her temples. "Hunter," she said, turning to look at the younger man. "I want you to consult with Gavin as often as possible. We need to be as prepared as possible for whatever is to come."

"Of course," Hunter said, nodding.

"I had hoped that Mystique would leave my children out of whatever plans she has for the X-Men," Crystal admitted to her staff.

Tokugawa placed a comforting hand on Crystal's shoulder. "These kids are strong, Crystal," he said in a gentle tone he didn't use very often. "I have no doubt that they will survive anything Mystique throws at them."

"Yeah," Robin agreed in a comforting tone. "They'll be alright, Crys."

Crystal released a small sigh as she looked at the door leading to the foyer. She thought of the eight teens that she'd taken in, that she'd promised to help. "I sure hope so," she whispered to herself.

* * *

><p>And a small fight scene between some of the Brotherhood and the Rosemund gang. Also, the Rosemund teens will be joining training sessions with Logan! Will they survive?And I know there's not a house right next door to the Brotherhood Boarding House in the show, but there is in this story for obvious reasons. The boarding house is just too small for all those teens!<p>

Let me know how it was! Is there anything you'd like to see happen in the upcoming chapters?


	8. SpykeCam

I know it's been a while. I apologize for the long wait. Review response time!

Random Kat - Feel free to send me Annie's older brother, through PM if you don't mind! He may end up in the Brotherhood, or I might find another place for him!

4everablackrose - Here's another update for ya! Yes, the relationship between Lance and Inara will serve for many interesting moments in the future. You don't sound pushy at all! I love when creators give me feed back on their characters! As for Bridget, I have toned her down some, but there will be moments where you may feel she's out of character. For this, I provide an explanation: I have a friend very much like Bridget, quiet and shy. Very much an introvert. But when she's around me (a talkative, energetic extravert) she tends to come out of her shell. I hope I'm not mistaken in thinking Inara and Bridget who be good friends. So Bridget tends to be a bit more talkative around Inara then she normally would, but only in places she feels comfortable in. I try to keep her quiet and shy in school and other public places. And likewise, Bridget's quiet personality tends to reel in Inara's more eccentric qualities. Hope that makes sense!

Dracarot - Thank you for looking into this fic. I'm working on the second chapter of As They Seem and it should be done soon.

KitKat12323 - I'm glad you liked the chapter and Augustus' touch of humor!

HMMaster - I'm glad you enjoyed the last chapter! I was so nervous about that fight scene. And yes, the split up is related to the idea you asked about! ;)

kitcool - Oh, I am definitely going to continue! :)

A-Rog - I'm glad you enjoyed them! Alex's temper was easy to fit in, and I assure you this will not be the last time it is seen.

bettycrocker540 - Yes, I thought Alex would be the leader when I started this story, but after getting to know James' character, I knew he would be the better choice. Always being calm and collected gives him a bit of an edge. I'm glad you're enjoying the story so far!

Haretrigger - Such a long review! Not that I mind! Yes, normally those kinds of requests would lead parents to question what their kids were learning at such a school, but Inara's parents know it is a school for mutants. She explained what the body armor and Kevlar was for, I assure you. I know! This Brotherhood is a force to be reckoned with! I love it! And there is reasoning beyond those that you mentioned for the separation. I'm sure Mystique acquired only what Gavin wanted her to. Crystal does have a technopath under her employee, after all. There will be plenty more of the relationship between Inara and Lance. You just may get the chance to see what results come from crossing Crystal Rosemund in the future. There are some bits where the kids use their abilities for recreational use in this chapter. And there will be more in future chapters. As for what the teachers do when the kids aren't around, watch for that in the next chapter. ;) And I think I may be able to squeeze in someone begging Jean to give them the answers to a test in an upcoming chapter. We'll see!

And now, on to the story! If you see any mistakes, please let me know so they can be fixed!

* * *

><p>Augustus stuffed his social science book into his bag when the bell rang. After zipping his bag, he slipped it onto his shoulders and stood up. He made his way over to Evan's desk, noticing that despite the fact that Evan had slipped his own bag onto his shoulders, he hadn't stood up. He was staring at the assignment Mr. Vandermeer had just handed back to him with a glum look on his face. Glancing down at the paper, Augustus grimaced at the large red 'D' circled at the top.<p>

"Ouch," he muttered sympathetically.

"Yeah," Evan sighed, slowly standing up. Once standing, his eyes locked onto the 'D' once more. "Man," he said, reaching up to rub the back of his neck. "Professor Xavier's gonna ground me for the rest of my life!"

"Mr. Daniels," Mr. Vandermeer called before Augustus could offer any comforting words. "Could we talk for a moment, please?"

"I'll wait for you in the hall," Augustus said as he headed for the door, shutting it behind him. He moved across the hall to lean against the wall by an open window, shoving his hands into his pockets. After a few minutes, Evan emerged from the classroom holding a digi-cam.

"Cool! Instant rewind, digital zoom," he was saying as he walked over to the window beside Augustus.

"Is that a digi-cam?" Augustus asked, pushing away from the wall to turn toward Evan.

"Yeah, man," Evan replied, holding the cam up to his eye as he looked out of the window. "Vandermeer's letting me do a film project for extra credit."

"Cool!" Augustus said with a grin.

"I know!" Evan said as he moved his head from right to left, scanning the city through the cam. "Hey, I can even see the institute through this thing!" He paused as he zoomed in, then breathed, "Wow!" Chuckling a little, he added, "Hello, Logan."

"Dude, try the academy!" Augustus said, pointing in the academy's general direction.

"Evan!" a German accented voice called as a blue, furry, three fingered hand reached up to grab the front of Evan's white tank, startling him before he could move the cam to look for the academy.

"Wh- Hey!" he cried, spikes forming on his left forearm and knuckles. "Man, don't scare me like that! I almost tooth picked ya!" He quickly retracted the spikes, looking around to make sure no one had seen them.

Augustus, who had seen Kurt but not had enough time to warn Evan, grinned a little. He didn't even take a step back, like he would've a week or so ago. After hanging out with Evan, and by extension Kurt, for the past few weeks, he'd gotten over his apprehension of Kurt's looks. Becoming more comfortable with the fact that he was a mutant, but still the same guy he'd always been had definitely helped. It also didn't hurt that Kurt was a pretty cool guy once you got to know him.

"Sorry," Kurt said as his image inducer kicked back on. He looked down at the watch before holding it up. "Image inducer's on the fritz. I've got to get back to the institute before someone sees me. That means missing our shop class."

"Hey, no prob," Evan said with a smile, gesturing to the digi-cam. "I'll catch it on tape for ya."

"Cool," Kurt replied, his image inducer shutting down again. "Then I'm out of here." With a bamf, he was gone, leaving behind a dark cloud of smoke and the smell of brimstone.

"Come on," Augustus said. "We're gonna be late for shop."

"Right," Evan agreed with a nod as they started walking down the hall.

* * *

><p>"You're not auditioning for a lead role?" Ailana asked as she followed Inara down the hall, watching as the chlorokinetic occasionally stopped to put up a poster for the school play.<p>

"Not this time," Inara replied with a casual shrug of her shoulders.

"Why not?" Ailana asked. "Jason's playing the male lead, right? Dracula?"

"Well, yes," Inara said, turning to arch one eyebrow at Ailana. "But what's that got to do with me auditioning?"

"Jason's a total babe, Inara!" Ailana said.

Inara shrugged again, moving to hang a poster up on her locker. "Jason's not really my type."

"How is Jason not your type?" Ailana questioned in an incredulous tone.

"He's just not," Inara told her. Behind Ailana, Bridget flashed Inara a knowing smile. Inara shook her head, fighting the light blush that was threatening to color her cheeks. "But feel free to try out yourself, Ailana. We need more girls who can sing."

"Really?" Ailana said, her eyes widening. A grin slowly stretched across her lips. "Tomorrow night, right?"

"Mmhm," Inara confirmed with a nod. "In the auditorium."

"Count me in," Ailana said, her grin widening.

* * *

><p>Annastasia slammed her locker shut, glaring down the hall at Rogue's back. A low growl trickled out from between her teeth as her hands balled into tight fists at her sides. Though the image inducer she wore hid it, her canines doubled in length and the fur covering her body thickened.<p>

"Annie, calm down," Emily whispered, placing a hand on the younger girl's shoulder. "Before you shift in front of everyone."

"She left us, Em!" Annastasia growled, her eyes flashing dangerously. "For those goody goody X-freaks!"

"I know," Emily said with a sigh, glancing down the hall to where Rogue stood. "But you have to calm down. If you shift right here, our secret'll be blown."

Knowing Emily was right, Annastasia closed her eyes and turned her back on her former teammate. It took every last ounce of will power she had to calm herself down. To keep the wolf from bursting out.

"Come on," Emily said, sending one last glance in Rogue's direction. Grabbing Annastasia's arm in a gentle yet firm grip, she led the girl down the hall, in the opposite direction of the Goth they had once shared a room with. "Let's go home."

* * *

><p>Augustus plopped down on the couch beside Ailana, dumping a pile of junk food onto the coffee table. Alex reached for a pan of Jiffy Pop popcorn while Augustus tore open a bag of Doritos. The energy converter raised an eyebrow as his eyes traveled from the Jiffy Pop to the wind manipulator.<p>

"Uh, Augustus?" he began, eyes moving to back to the Jiffy Pop. "You didn't pop this stuff."

"Huh?" Augustus said, looking up from the can of soda he had just opened. "Oh. Well, do we really need popcorn?"

"Do we-?" Alex said slowly, blinking in disbelief. He shook his head a little. "Of course we need popcorn! What's a horror movie marathon without popcorn?"

"Relax, Alex," Ailana said, grabbing the Jiffy Pop pan and placing it on the palm of her hand. She focused her concentration on that hand, willing its temperature to rise exponentially. After a few seconds, the sound of kernels exploding filled the room and the container holding the pop corn began to expand. Grinning, she added, "I got this."

"Alright!" Alex cheered, slinging an arm around her shoulders. "Way to go, Ailana."

"You're welcome," she said with a chuckle. Turning her head to look at Augustus, she asked, "The others aren't joining us?"

"James is on kitchen duty," he replied.

"And Inara and Bridget are outside with their dogs," Alex added, stealing a handful of chips from Augustus.

"Ah, okay," Ailana said. She willed her hand to return to its normal temperature, holding the Jiffy Pop pan out to Alex. "Popcorn's done."

"Thanks!" he said, quickly opening the container and shoving a handful of popcorn into his mouth.

"You're welcome," she replied. The opening credits of the 1981 version of 'My Bloody Valentine' began to play on the TV and she added, "Now shh! It's starting!"

* * *

><p>Inara sat under one of the large apple trees on the grounds, her back against the wide tree trunk and a brand new book nestled in her lap. Bridget sat beside her, her fingers strumming out a soft melody on the acoustic guitar resting in her lap. Their golden retrievers, Shadow and Kyle respectively, were playing and running around not far from the girls.<p>

"You're good," Inara mused.

"Thanks," Bridget replied, the melody ceasing as her hands grew still. "But I'm not as good as Alex."

"That may be true," Inara began with a grin, "but Alex has more time to practice than you do."

"True," Bridget said with a quiet giggle. She began playing her guitar again, the sound of playful barks accompanying the soft melody.

* * *

><p>Robin blinked as she entered the kitchen, taking in the sight before her. James sat at the kitchen table, his feet propped up on the chair next to the one he was occupying. A laptop rested on his lap, a Bruce Lee movie playing on the seventeen inch screen. Two pitch black, humanoid forms moved around the kitchen, working on the lasagna they would be having for dinner.<p>

"That's," she began, causing the teen to jump. His hands moved to hold the laptop in place as he turned his head to face her. "Efficient," she finished, her eyes on the soldiers.

"Uh, yeah," James replied, looking slightly nervous. "I just wanted to relax a little," he was quick to explain. "You know, since we start training with Logan tomorrow. All of the others are doing things they like," he added.

Robin chuckled a little. "I see. Well, okay then," she said, winking as she moved to grab a bottle of water out of the fridge, "I'll let it slide this time."

"Thanks, Miss Latimer," he said, smiling as his attention returned to the movie.

"You're welcome, James," she said before exiting the kitchen and heading back to the room where Gavin was housed.

* * *

><p>The back of his hand connected with her cheek, sending her tumbling to the floor. She reached up to cup her cheek, wincing at the stinging sensation that came from the touch. She must've been cut by the ring he was wearing. Part of his design, no doubt. She turned to look up at him, eyes filled with terror.<p>

"Y-You c-couldn't just l-leave me alone?" she pleaded.

"No," he sneered, piercing green eyes identical to her own boring down on her, flooded with hatred. "Everyone else might be okay with you just disappearing, but I want you dead!"

He lunged at her and she screamed, throwing one arm out in front of her. His feet left the ground as she altered his gravitational pull. He flailed his arms for a bit before vanishing from sight. Her eyes went wide, and in her surprise she released her control over his gravitational pull. A low grunt indicated that his feet had hit the ground. She slowly stood up, eyes darting back and forth.

"D-Dylan?" she called out tentatively.

Something she couldn't see suddenly connected with her stomach, knocking the wind out of her. His familiar voice spoke up from somewhere close to her right ear, his words dripping with disdain. "You're not the only freak in the family anymore."

Two more fists found her stomach and she crumpled to the ground, gasping in pain and clutching her stomach protectively. "Not my fault," she managed to say.

"You're right," he agreed, his voice indicating he had backed off a little. "But you're the one who's going to pay."

A blow landed on the side of her head, causing bursts of white light to fill her sight, followed by an impenetrable blackness. Right before she lost consciousness, she thought she heard a vicious snarl.

* * *

><p>Her eyes slowly fluttered open, one hand moving to lightly touch her pounding head. She took in the familiar sight of the living room she shared with the other three female members of the Brotherhood. Upon realizing that she was laying on the couch, she moved to sit up. She hissed, wincing as pain shot through her right side.<p>

"Easy, Maddie," Liron's voice said from somewhere behind her before the small girl moved into her line of sight. She gently sat down on the edge of the couch before saying, "We think you've got a couple of cracked ribs."

"We?" Madison repeated, confusion evident in her tone. Liron was the only one of the girls that seemed to like her.

"You're awake," Emily's voice called from the door leading to the kitchen, effectively preventing Liron from responding. "Good. How are you feeling?"

"Sore," Madison admitted, wincing as she tried to turn to see Emily. "And a little confused."

"Liron was concerned when you didn't come home after school." Emily began explaining as she moved to stand beside the couch, a tray of food in her hands. "So we went looking for you. Annie followed your scent to the alley where we found you."

"Just me?" Madison asked as Emily gently sat the tray on her lap.

"No," Annastasia said as she entered the room. "There was someone else there. I couldn't see him, but I could smell him."

"It was a little weird," Emily admitted, "watching her fight someone we couldn't see."

"Do you know who it was?" Liron asked.

"Yeah," Madison said, taking a sip of the soda on the tray. "His name's Dylan. He's my brother."

"Brother?" Annastasia echoed, her tone incredulous. She thought of her own brother, who loved her unconditionally. "Why would your brother attack you?"

Madison heaved a heavy sigh. "My family hates mutants," she told them. "Despises them, really. So when my powers manifested, they made it quite clear how they felt about it."

"You mean," Emily began in a quiet tone, "they abused you?"

"More than they already did," Madison whispered.

"Already did?" Annastasia echoed again. "They abused you before that?"

"My brother was always the favorite," she said, wrapping her arms around herself. "He got to have fun, be a kid. I was forced to do all of the chores, cooking, cleaning, all of it. If something wasn't done right, I'd get punished. Bed without supper for a week. Beatings that left bruises only where clothes would cover them."

She paused, squeezing her eyes tightly shut in an attempt to block out the memories. Emily and Annastasia exchanged a brief glance while Liron reached out to place a hand on Madison's shoulder. The flinch elicited by the touch was almost unnoticeable.

"It's okay, Maddie," Emily said in a gentle tone. "You don't have to tell us anymore."

It was the first time use of her nickname by the shadow manipulator that made Madison go on. "No, I need to." She paused only to take a deep breath. "When my powers manifested, things only got worse. I knew if I stayed, they would end up killing me. So I ran away."

"And he hunted you down?" Liron asked.

"I guess so," she replied. "He said something about wanting me dead, even though everyone else was fine with me just disappearing."

"Think it had to do with his mutant power manifesting?" Emily questioned.

"I'm sure that had something to do with it," Madison said with a small nod. "If our parents found out he was a mutant, too, he wouldn't be their precious boy anymore."

"Eat," Emily said after a minute of silence, gesturing to the tray. "And don't worry about your brother. I don't think he'll be coming after you again."

"Why do you say that?" Madison asked, looking up at Emily.

"Mystique showed up after I got him pinned," Annastasia said, the smirk on her lips identical to Emily's and Liron's. "She shifted into a monster, and I could smell his fear on the other side of the alley."

"She did say she'd keep them from coming after me," Madison mumbled as she turned her attention to the food on the tray.

"She's not the only one," Liron assured her.

Madison looked up at the other three girls. While she expected to see the determined look on Liron's face, she was surprised to find Emily and Annastasia nodding in agreement. With a small smile of appreciation, she turned her attention back to the food on the tray.

* * *

><p>Logan studied the twelve teens standing in a line before him. The Thorns were wearing generic black body suits with red shoulder pads bearing a black 'X' with yellow, belts, gloves, and boots. Standard battle attire for the new wave of students Xavier wished to have in the future. The X-Men stood directly across from the Thorns, dressed in their personalized battle suits.<p>

"Today's session is going to be simple," he told them. "Your mission is to capture the enemy flag while protecting your own."

"Thorns," Tokugawa said, stepping forward to stand beside Logan. "You will be protecting the red flag located at the north end of the room." He pointed to the medium-sized, red, rectangular flag hanging on a metal pole.

"X-Men," Logan said, gaining the attention of his charges, "you'll be protectin' the blue flag at the south end." He pointed to the blue flag on the opposite end of the room from its counterpart. "Once both teams are in position, the holographic setting will be engaged."

With that he headed for the door, Tokugawa following behind him. The two teams nodded to each other before turning to head for their assigned flags. Logan and Tokugawa reached the control room above the Danger Room just as the two teams reached the flags.

"Session begins," Logan's gruff voice said over the intercom, "now!"

* * *

><p>The holographic image of a vast jungle flickered to life around the two teams. The Thorns were amazed at how lifelike the hologram was. The sounds, the smells, even the feel of the plants and trees around them were highly realistic.<p>

"Aw, yeah!" Augustus exclaimed, a wide grin stretching across his lips. "That flag is ours! Nymph can take 'em all out at once!"

"These plants aren't real," Inara said with a frown. "I can't control them. I've tried."

"So your abilities are out of the question?" James asked in a calm tone.

"Well, yes," she told him. "There aren't any…," she stopped talking abruptly, her frown turning into a look of curiosity.

"Nymph?"

A mischievous grin stretched across her lips. "They've given me something to work with," she told James, eyes twinkling. "Actual living plants randomly placed throughout the room."

"How many are near our flag?" James asked.

"Enough for me to provide solid protection," she replied.

"Okay," James said with a nod. "Here's what we're going to do. Nymph's going to stay here with the flag. I'll head out about five meters, create a few soldiers, and set up a perimeter. Dynamo, you'll lead Lodestone, Pele, and Vortex through the jungle to the enemy's flag."

"Got it," Alex said with a firm nod. "Let's go, guys," he added, motioning for Bridget, Ailana, and Augustus to follow him.

"Find a way to conceal yourself if you can," James told Inara as their teammates disappeared into the jungle. "That way you'll have the element of surprise at your advantage."

He turned and disappeared into the jungle before she could reply. With a sigh, she moved back behind the flag. There was a medium sized tree there, hidden among its holographic companions. Under her influence, it doubled in size, one branch moving to gently scoop her up. As she sat crouched on the branch, hidden by the tree's many leaves, she commanded a vine from a nearby ivy to twine its way around the metal pole the flag was hanging on.

* * *

><p>"We've got a few advantages over the Thorns," Scott told his team. "One, we know Logan and the Danger Room. We've even been through a similar run before. Two, I assume Nymph's powers don't extend to holographic plants, so she won't be using them. Now, here's the plan.<p>

"Jean," he said, turning toward the redhead. "Stay here and guard the flag."

"Right," she said, nodding.

"The rest of us will head for the enemy's flag in different directions," he said, turning to the rest of his team. "Nightcrawler, Spyke, take the left side. Rogue, Shadowcat, the right. I'll head straight across."

They nodded before splitting up and disappearing into the thick jungle. Scott headed straight into the jungle, one hand poised over the dial on his visor. Jean moved to conceal herself behind a holographic tree before projecting a small force field around the flag.

* * *

><p>Kitty made her way through the thick jungle, phasing through the holograms surrounding her. After phasing through a canopy of vines, she gasped, spinning around to examine the canopy with wide eyes.<p>

"Uh, guys," she called over her com link. "We have a problem."

"What is it?" Scott's voice answered.

"There are real plants in here," she replied.

There was a minute of silence through the link before Evan's voice crackled through. "How do you know?"

"Because I can tell the difference between phasing through holograms and phasing through the real deal," she shot back.

"Jean," Scott's voice barked. "Can you get a location on Nymph?"

Another minute of silence passed before Jean's voice came over the link. "Yeah, she's guarding the flag."

"Alright," Scott's voice replied. "Shadowcat, Nightcrawler, you'll be our best hope at getting that flag. We'll try to keep the others distracted."

"Got it," Kurt's voice crackled through the link.

Kitty was about to respond in kind when she heard a rustle behind her. Turning her back on the canopy of vines, she came face to face with Augustus.

Augustus blinked at the sight of Kitty standing in front of him. "I just ran into Shadowcat, guys," he called over his com link.

"Engage her," James' voice immediately replied. "Do everything you can to prevent her from reaching the flag."

"Can do," Augustus said, grinning as he slipped into a battle stance.

Kitty smirked at him before darting forward, phasing through the taller teen. She laughed as he spun around, wide eyed and shivering.

"What's the matter, Vortex?" she taunted, hands on her hips. "Can't handle the feeling of someone passing through you?"

"Just surprised me a little," he said, lunging for her.

With another laugh, she became intangible and he stumbled right through her, his arms wrapping around nothing but air. "That's not gonna work," she told him in a sing-song voice.

He spun around again, glaring at her. He stepped toward her, close enough to grab her. He saw her tense up, getting ready to phase the moment he reached for her. He glowered, wondering how he was going to keep her from slipping by, or through, him.

'Think, Augustus,' he commanded himself. 'How can you keep her from phasing?'

It took a minute for the answer to come to him, but when it did, he immediately stepped away from her. He watched her relax only slightly, blue eyes watching him warily. When high velocity winds suddenly swirled to life around her, her eyes widened. Before she could react, the winds had lifted her at least ten feet into the air.

"Shadowcat's out," Augustus told his teammates through the link. "But I need to concentrate to keep her that way."

"I'm sending a few soldiers to watch your back," James' voice replied. "Good job, Vortex."

* * *

><p>"Shadowcat's being detained by Vortex," Jean's voice informed her teammates through the com link.<p>

"Man," Evan groaned, fighting his way through the thick jungle. "Why'd it have to be a jungle?"

"Focus, Spyke," Scott's voice commanded through the link. "Find Nightcrawler. Make sure he gets to that flag."

"Right," Evan said, determination replacing the misery in his voice. "On it."

With a renewed determination, he fought harder to get past the thick plants blocking his way. He was so focused on finding his friend that he failed to notice the figure hiding behind one of the trees he passed.

"Spyke's headed your way, Legion," Bridget warned through the com link.

"Noted," James' voice replied.

Bridget moved out from behind the small tree, a retractable walking stick held out in front of her. She couldn't 'see' the holographic jungle that surrounded her. Only the people and the live plants scattered across the room. But she couldn't just walk through the holograms like they weren't there. They were made solid somehow, making the walking stick Tokugawa gave her after she'd changed a necessity.

* * *

><p>James wasn't only able to see and hear everything each one of his soldiers did. He was also able to keep the sights and sounds from melting together, so that he knew exactly which soldier was experiencing what.<p>

Meaning he was able maintain a perimeter around his team's flag with six soldiers, cover Augustus' back with two, send two more after a quickly approaching Cyclops, keep Rogue occupied in hand to hand combat with one, and still be able to effectively communicate with his teammates via his com link.

"Dynamo," he called over the link. "Head back to base. Spyke's just engaged one of my soldiers to the west and Cyclops is battling two," he paused as one of his soldiers was hit with a red blast, smashing into a tree before disappearing, "correction, one of my soldiers to the east."

"On my way," Dynamo's voice responded through the link.

A familiar sound, faint but audible, reached his ears and his cursed under his breath. That was the sound made when Kurt teleported. Looking around, he tried to catch a glimpse of the German teen, but to no avail.

"Nymph," he barked into the link. "Nightcrawler's slipped past me, so heads up!"

* * *

><p>Inara didn't have time to respond, because Nightcrawler teleported into sight right after James warned her. She watched as the blue, fuzzy teen grinned, pale yellow eyes locked onto the flag. He slowly advanced toward the flag, one arm outstretched to take possession of the flag. Right as his fingers were about to grasp the red fabric, the vine around the pole came to life, moving the flag out of his reach.<p>

"Nymph," he said, eyes darting around in search of the chlorokinetic.

Inara smirked as she commanded the vine to dance in a spiral toward the ceiling. Kurt teleported from tree branch to tree branch trying to reach the flag, but every time he reappeared, the vine had moved, taking the flag with it.

He was crouched on a branch seventeen feet in the air when Scott burst through the brush below. Inara was distracted long enough for the flag to remain stationary, causing Kurt to grin. He quickly teleported into the tree closest to the vine holding the flag, reaching out to snatch the red fabric once more.

He didn't realize he'd teleported into the tree Inara was using as a hiding place until he heard the surprised cry behind him. He twisted around just in time to see Inara fall from her perch. Forgetting the flag that was two inches from his hand, he quickly teleported. After catching her mid fall, he teleported to the ground.

"Couldn't help falling for zhe fuzzy dude, huh?" he joked, grinning at her.

Inara felt her cheeks heating up and prayed that something distracted him before he noticed. Alex chose that moment to crash through the brush, no doubt in pursuit of Scott. Relief started to flood through her as Kurt turned his head to look at the blond teen. Until she noticed the large, orange flower rapidly blooming over Kurt's shoulder.

"What is going on?" Scott asked, his tone a mix between curiosity and confusion. Upon turning to look at him, she saw that he was watching the flower bloom with one eyebrow arched over his visor.

"I know what's going on," Alex said, not doing a good job at containing his laughter.

"You can put me down now," Inara muttered, pointedly not looking at Kurt as she felt her cheeks steadily growing warmer.

"Oh, right," he said with a small chuckle before gently setting her on the ground.

She shuffled away from him, glaring forcefully at Alex as she willed her blush to fade with no success.

"I can't get past Jean," Bridget's voice crackled through the link. "Even with Pele's help."

"I'm sending a soldier your way," James' voice replied. "But it's going to be a few minutes before it reaches you."

"Nightcrawler," Scott said, causing Alex's laughter to die immediately.

"Nymph!" Alex cried as Kurt turned his attention back to the flag, still suspended in the same spot by the vine.

Under the brunette's control, the vine began to move once more, swaying in an unpredictable pattern. Scott dodged one of Alex's green blast before firing back a red beam that hit Alex in his chest. During the brief moment that Alex was down, he turned his attention to the vine, aiming just below where the plant began to wrap around the metal pole.

The next few seconds seemed to pass by in slow motion. Scott released a red beam from his visor, effectively slicing through the vine. Inara flinched slightly, her eyes focused on the seared ends of the vine instead of the now falling flag. Kurt grinned, leaping into the air to catch the falling flag.

Kurt's fingers wrapped around the metal pole and a loud buzzing filled the room. The holograms quickly disappeared, revealing the scattered assortment of plants. Kurt landed gracefully on the metal floor, flag pole clutched in both hands and a wide grin stretched across his features.

Augustus groaned and the winds holding Kitty in the air began to slowly die down, gently lowering the brunette back to the ground. Evan retracted bone spikes along his arms as he jogged over to share a high five with Kurt. Rogue crossed her arms under her chest, a small smirk playing on her lips as the soldier she'd been fighting disappeared.

Bridget and Ailana followed a beaming Jean to the middle of the room as the scattered plants withdrew into their hidden compartments. Scott motioned for Kurt and Evan to follow him as he headed for the center of the room as well. James was already there, watching as the others made their way toward him.

Alex moved to throw an arm around Inara's shoulders as they headed for the center of the room, a few feet behind Scott, Kurt, and Evan. Bending his head, he whispered in a sing-song voice, "Someone's got a crush."

Inara's cheeks heated up again. "Shut up, Alex," she hissed.

"Relax, 'Nara," he told her, giving her shoulders a squeeze and smiling down at her. "Your secret's safe with me."

The Danger Room doors slid open and Logan and Tokugawa walked in, headed for the twelve teens standing in the middle. Logan studied the sagging shoulders, and flaming cheeks in one case, of the Rosemund students.

"Not bad for your first session," Logan said, looking at the six victorious teens. "You seem to know what team work is, but there are still some things we need to work on. For now, you're dismissed."

"You weren't bad," Scott said as the teens headed for the locker rooms.

"Thanks," James said, not letting his disappointment show. "We'll be better next time."

"Good," Scott replied with a grin. "I'll be counting on it."

* * *

><p>She inserted the correct amount of change into the appropriate slot on the pay phone. She quickly dialed a number she knew by heart then waited for someone to answer. After four rings, a familiar voice drifted through the ear piece.<p>

"Bonjour?"

"It's Raven," she said, not wasting time on pleasantries. "What are your thoughts on moving to Bayville, New York?"

* * *

><p>And there's the Rosemund gang's first experience in the Danger Room! It was a bit mild, but they'll realize just what Crystal's gotten them into soon enough! And who was Raven talking to at the end? Guess you'll have to stayed tuned to find out! Tell me how it was, please! Constructive criticism is welcome!<p> 


	9. Survival of the Fittest

**As I have started responding to your reviews through PMs, there's nothing left to say except: I apologize immensely for the long wait! My life's been a bit hectic lately. But here is the next chapter! Hope you enjoy!**

**Also, as always, if you see any mistakes, let me know and I'll fix 'em!**

* * *

><p>Dark purple eyes scanned the patrons of the small café as she walked in. Spotting the familiar face of Raven Darkholme, she smiled and made her way to the corner of the café where the brunette was waiting.<p>

"I must say," she said as she slid into the seat across from Raven. "I did not expect a call from you."

"I know," Raven said. "I hadn't planned on calling you, but I need your help."

"Yes," she replied with a nod. "Training your charges."

"Precisely," Raven said, leaning forward to rest her chin on her folded hands, her arms propped up on the table between them. "Also, it would be beneficial for me to have someone around to keep an eye on them when I need to take care of important matters. I know you have your own matters to settle, but I needed someone I could trust."

"Of course," she said, smiling again. "I will help you, Raven. After all, what are old friends for?"

"Thank you, Sylvie," Raven said in a tone that was as close to gratitude as the woman ever got.

"You are welcome, mon ami," she replied. "Now, before you go tend to your important matter tell me about these charges of yours."

* * *

><p>"You will not be making wallets, neck tie racks, or paper weights," Sergeant Hawk informed the row of teens as he walked past them. "You will not be engaging in potato sack races, water balloon tosses, or pony rides. You will be taking twenty mile hikes, repelling two hundred foot cliffs, and crossing treacherous water with only a rope and all the courage you can muster." He stopped in front of the Xavier kids. "Do you read me?"<p>

"Yes, Sergeant Hawk, sir," all of the teens replied in unison.

"I said, 'Do you read me'?"

"Yes, Sergeant Hawk, sir!"

"Welcome to Ironback Survivial Camp," Sergeant Hawk said, crossing his arms over his broad chest. "A name you won't soon forget. Now," he moved to stand directly in front of Scott, "here we have a young man, Scott Sumner-"

"Summers," Scott quickly corrected.

Sergeant Hawk continued as if Scott hadn't spoken. "Who's academic achievements at Bayville High have earned him the rank of group leader." He moved to walk down the row of teens once more. "You will be following his lead. You've got ten minutes to stow your gear and report to the training field. Dismissed!"

"Oh," Kitty groaned, plopping down on her pink suitcase. "I'm gonna be dead in, like, two days!"

"What about me?" Evan practically whined. "I'm a city kid!"

"Ditto," Augustus said, looking highly disgruntled.

"What did we ever do to deserve this?" Kurt groaned, looking around at his peers.

"Ah'm goin' AWOl," Rogue declared, reaching down to grab her duffel bag. As she slung it onto her shoulder, she asked, "Anyone know how to hotwire a school bus?"

"Not really," Alex said. Then he jerked his thumb over his shoulder. "I got my bike, though."

"Whoa," Scott said, placing a hand on Rogue's shoulder as she started to move toward Alex. "Slow down there, private. Come on, we're not washing out in front of the whole school."

"Scott's right," Bridget piped up, placing a hand on Alex's arm. "We can do this."

Alex arched an eyebrow as he looked down at the blonde. While Bridget had a tendency to come out of her shell around Inara, it was usually in the sanctity of the academy. It was highly unusual for her to be so outspoken in the presence of so many of her peers.

"See, Bridget's game," Scott said, sending an appreciative smile in Bridget's direction. "Besides, Professor Xavier endorses this place."

"Yeah," Jean said. "At least we were given a choice. Survival training here or with Wolverine."

"Some choice," Rogue grumbled.

"Seconded," Ailana said. "Sergeant Hawk seems like his personality's as close to Wolverine's as a normal person's can get."

"Oh, come one, guys," Inara said, dancing out from between James and Bridget, positively radiating giddiness. "Just look around! All this untouched nature!" She stretched her hands above her head, seemingly basking in the nature around her. "It's so exhilarating!" As she spoke, she brought her arms down, throwing them out to their respective sides. A burst of power rippled out from her in a circle, causing every plant it touched to sway slightly.

"Great," Augustus grumbled, glaring at the brunette's giddiness. "She's on a nature high."

"A what?" Kitty asked, blinking up at Augustus, the rest of the X-Men looking equally bewildered.

"A nature high," Alex answered with a grin. "She gets like this when she's around an insanely large amount of flora."

"Inara," James called, a small smile playing on his lips. "Tone it down a bit, okay?"

"Right," she said with a sheepish grin.

"Let's go drop our things off in our cabins," Scott said, shaking his head as he grabbed his bag. "We've only got a few minutes to get to the training field."

The teens scooped up their respective luggage and quickly headed for the four cabins they would be bunking in.

* * *

><p>"Group leader," Fred sneered as he crossed his arms and glared at Scott's back. "Scholastic achievement. That shoulda been me!" He jerked his thumb at his chest.<p>

"You can't even spell scholastic achievement, Blob," Pietro scoffed, placing fisted hands on is hips and turning his head to look at the older boy.

"But I can spell doomed," Fred retorted, smacking his fist into the palm of his right hand. "Which is what that goody goody gang is after I get them alone in the woods!"

"Yeah, I can hear it now," Todd said. He pretended to hold a microphone close to his mouth as he went on, "Search and rescue efforts abandoned for missing teens." He moved to place the back of his hand against his forehead in a dramatic act. "No traces found."

"Have you lug heads forgotten that they have a chlorokinetic on their side?" Liron asked, crossing her arms. "And that we're surrounded by plant life?"

Lance had felt the ripple of power Inara had unintentionally released, so he wasn't paying close attention to the conversation going on behind him. Catching Liron's words, he finally spoke up, "Liron's right. Besides, we'll beat them where it hurts most. In public, in front of everyone, where they won't risk using their powers. Let's go."

"I have a feeling this is going to be interesting," Damion muttered as the Brotherhood made their way toward their cabins.

"Why do we have to do this again?" Madison grumbled.

"Mystique said she had something to take care of," Emily said. "And this was a way to ensure we stayed out of trouble while she was gone."

"It's really not that bad, guys," Annastasia said, a slight bounce in her step.

"Says the girl who turns into a wolf," Liron muttered, a nearly unseen smirk playing on her lips.

Annastasia playfully stuck her tongue out at the Israeli mutant.

* * *

><p>With the children out of the large mansion that served as the Rosemund Academy, Tokugawa decided indulge in the large, flat screen and surround sound system set up in the recreational room. Since the teenagers he helped teach were usually occupying the large room set aside for recreational purposes, he usually spent his free time practicing Kendo or dappling in sumi ink painting. Today, however, he was going to enjoy a classic noir film he was sure his charges would find dull, with the possible exception of Inara.<p>

Of his colleagues, it was only Crystal who expressed a definite interest in old noir films. Hunter admitted to never watching a noir film before, but as he liked classic movies, there was a good chance he might like the genre. He had invited both to join him, but Crystal wasn't feeling up to it and Hunter wanted to finish whatever classic novel he was currently reading. Robin had expressed absolutely no interest in noir films. Despite the age difference between them being just a year, she acted closer to twenty than she did thirty, easily becoming the 'cool' teacher out of the three.

So Tokugawa found himself alone in the recreational room with one his favorite noir films, enjoying his lunch in a comfortable solitude.

* * *

><p>Fred looked up at the eight mutant teens already halfway up their respective ropes. With a determined expression on his face, he spit into his left palm before rubbing it against his right. He gripped his rope firmly with both hands and lifted his feet off of the ground.<p>

The wooden beam holding the ropes bowed toward the ground under his immense weight. Evan and Ailana both lost their grips on their ropes, dropping a good five feet to hit the ground with dull thuds and low groans. Jean let go of her rope briefly before she managed to latch back on with her left hand, wincing at the feel of rope burn on her palm. James, Kurt, Scott, and Lance all managed to maintain their grips on their ropes due to good upper body strength while Madison used her ability to manipulate the gravity around her to keep her hold on her own rope.

The rope Fred was hanging from frayed and broke, sending him crashing to the ground with the loose piece of rope falling around his shoulders. "I'm not built for this kinda stuff," he grumbled, rubbing his backside before tugging the rope off of his shoulders and tossing it aside.

Alex, Augustus, Inara, and Bridget stood off to the side with Rogue and Kitty, all of them keeping their distance from the Brotherhood members not participating in the rope climb. As she watched Lance and Scott reach the top of their ropes, Inara leaned over to whisper to Bridget without anyone overhearing.

"You could probably agree with him a million times today, but I doubt Romeo would notice. He's too focused on defeating Tybalt."

"You would use Romeo and Juliet analogies," Bridget said with a giggle as Inara watched Lance and Scott grab hold of their respective zip lines. "But Scott's not Romeo."

"Oh?" Inara asked, arching an eyebrow at her best friend.

"Well, Lance is supposed to be Tybalt, right?"

"Well, yes," Inara replied slowly, not sure where the blonde was going with this.

"Then since Tybalt is Juliet's cousin, and you've got that weird connection thing with Lance, that would make you Juliet. And that would make Kurt Romeo, not Scott."

Before Inara could retort and dispute Bridget's logic, though she wasn't quite sure how at the moment, she felt the tell-tale tingling that always came right before Lance used his power of geological manipulation. She turned just in time to see the piece of land Scott was perched on break away from the rest of the ground and tumble into the river, taking the leader of the X-Men with it. Beside her, she heard Bridget gasp as the vibrations revealed to her a burnt orange version of the incident.

"Inara," Bridget said as she sent a glare in Lance's general direction. She wasn't even sure the brunette would do anything until she heard her response.

"Way ahead of you, Bridge."

If Lance had been close enough to hear the smugness in Inara's tone, he wouldn't have been surprised to find he couldn't step into his own raft. Looking down to see why his feet wouldn't move, he found that the grass had grown around his boots to hold him firmly in place.

"Inara," he growled, brown eyes darting up to lock with dark green ones.

He was further infuriated when she only smirked at the glare he was sending her. If he wanted to ignore whatever weird connection they had, then she would do just that. A nudge to her arm drew her eyes away from Lance and to Bridget.

"What's going on?" Bridget asked, her face turned toward Inara.

Inara looked back toward the river and grinned. "Scott's managed to climb into his raft," she told the girl beside her. "And he's headed for the opposite shore."

Bridget grinned as she 'saw' Scott climb onto the opposite shore and run toward the finish line. As he burst through the ribbon marking his goal, the grass around Lance's boots retreated, allowing him to move freely once more. Emily, who had noticed Lance's struggling and then the retreating green around his boots, pushed her way through the crowd of cheering teens to point an accusing finger at Inara.

"You used your powers to keep Lance from winning!"

"Yeah," Pietro said, zipping up beside the shadow manipulator. "Just because Summers slipped and took a bath doesn't give you the right to sabotage Lance!"

"Slipped?" Kurt said in an incredulous tone as he stepped up on Inara's other side. "More like avalanched!"

"Oh, please," Madison retorted, placing a hand on her hip and rolling her eyes. "You're just pawning the Boy Scout's clumsiness off on Lance!"

"I 'saw' the vibrations from his powers!" Bridget shot back, her hands balled into tight fists at her sides.

"Summers stole that first place ribbon," Todd threw in, thrusting his finger in Kitty's face.

"He did not," she retorted hotly.

"You want that ribbon so bad?" Rogue asked in a fierce tone. "I'll pin in to your forehead, freak!"

James simply stood off to the side, watching as his teammates and the X-Men continued to argue with the majority of the Brotherhood. Two Brotherhood members, Damion and Liron, seemed just as content as he was to simply sit back and watch everything play out.

The sharp sound of a whistle being blown cut through the air, effectively putting a stop to the intense arguing.

* * *

><p>"Fifty-eight, fifty-nine, sixty," the mutant teens who had participated in the arguing counted each push up out loud and in unison.<p>

Sergeant Hawk marched past them, coming to a stop in front of Fred. "Now on your feet!" he ordered. The teens groaned collectively as they slowly climbed to their feet. Sergeant Hawk marched past them once more as he went on. "Here at Ironback, we got ways to weed the loudmouths from the tough guys. We fight it out in the wilderness, against the wilderness! You grunt wanna prove how tough you are, fine! First team to snatch a flag I planted on Mount Humiliation and brings it back to me wins."

"Cake walk," Pietro said with a smirk as he stepped out in front of his teammates. "My team can take a sauna. I'll get it myself."

"Not if I beat you there," Kurt countered, stepping forward and crossing his arms.

"The whole team or no one!" Sergeant Hawk barked. "As proof, I want a snap shot of every member right there at the top. Are we clear?"

"Sir, yes sir!"

Sergeant Hawk turned to the three teens who had excluded themselves from the argument. "You three are free to return to the training field."

As Liron, Damion, and James started toward the training field, Augustus eyed the mountain the flag was on warily. Shaking his head, he grabbed Alex's arm and said, "We got nothing to prove, man."

"What?" Alex cried as Augustus began to drag him away. Since Alex was taller and heavier, Augustus had to call upon a large gust of wind to help him once the energy converter started struggling. "Augustus, let me go!"

Despite the snap in Alex's words and the anger burning in his bright green eyes, Augustus persisted. "Look," he finally snapped as he stopped and rounded on his friend. "I'm savin' your ass, alright? That mountain's hellaciously tall!"

Alex glanced back at the mountain in question, paling slightly as he took in its full height. He'd been so wrapped up in one upping the Brotherhood that he hadn't considered what obtaining the flag had entailed. Namely, climbing to unbelievable heights.

"Damn it," he muttered, jerking his arm out of Augustus' grip. "You're right. But don't think I'm happy about this!"

Augustus grinned as Alex stomped off ahead of him, fuming as he followed James' retreating figure. "You'll get over it," he called out as he chased after the blond boy.

"You leave in five from opposite trails," Sergeant Hawk informed the remaining teens, seemingly ignoring the two boys' departure. "Be ready."

"Better say your farewell, Sumner," Lance taunted as the two teams started to disperse. "'Cause you guys aren't coming back.'

"Oh, you got something in mind, Rock Tumbler?" Scott asked, moving toward Lance. He raised his right hand to his shades as he went on. "'Cause I –"

"Scott!" Jean interrupted as she grabbed his wrist and fixed him with a stern glare. "What do you think you're doing?"

"What? Nothing," he shot back in a defensive tone. 'I'm just fed up with those delinquents getting away with everything while we're stuck playing by the rules!"

"Hey," Lance snapped as he moved to stand toe to toe with Scott. "We don't need our powers to beat you!"

"Ah, fine then," Scott retorted with a smirk. "We'll all play it straight. And you know what, we'll wave to ya from the top."

"Good," Jean said as they both turned and stomped away. "That's the deal. We're all competing fairly, no powers. And I, personally, am very proud of –"

"Come on, Jean," Scott interrupted in an annoyed tone as he stomped over, grabbed her arm, and yanked her in the direction of their teammates.

* * *

><p>James arched an eyebrow as he watched Alex and Augustus approach him, the former grumbling under his breath. "I thought you two would be all for beating the Brotherhood."<p>

"Damn fear of heights," Alex grumbled as he kicked a rock that had the misfortune of being near the toe of his shoe.

"What he said," Augustus said.

"Ah, I get it," James said, nodding as he gazed up at the top of the mountain. "Yeah, you two wouldn't have lasted long on that thing."

"Can it, Jimmy," Alex practically snarled.

James' eyebrow once again rose over one dark green eye. He didn't think his comment would piss Alex off so much. Then he noticed that Alex's furious green eyes were focused on something just past his left shoulder. Turning around, he found Damion standing behind him, an almost bored look etched on the Brotherhood boy's features.

"We've decided that we'd like to call a truce," he informed the Rosemund teens. "Just for now."

"We?" James asked, glancing to where Liron stood a few feet away. She flashed him a wide grin and waved as if they were old friends. This time, both of his eyebrows shot toward the sky. "Why?"

"The same reason we stayed out of the argument," Damion said with a light shrug. "That whole mess revolves around Lance and Summers butting heads. We don't consider that our fight."

"Your teammates certainly did," Alex shot back, crossing his arms over his chest.

"I'm sure they have their reasons," Damion muttered, sounding as though he had a few theories as to what those reasons were. "But we didn't really have any. Though, I'm sure Lira would've joined in if she wasn't in such a good mood."

The three Rosemund teens glanced over at Liron again, who was humming and nodding her head as if she didn't have a care in the world.

"Is there something wrong with her?" Augustus asked in a hushed tone.

"Yeah," Damion responded with a grin. "A lot. So, truce?"

James studied the hand being offered to him. With a shrug, he reached over to grasp it, giving it a firm shake. "Truce. For now."

Damion's grin transformed into an amused smirk before he moved to rejoin his cheerful teammate.

* * *

><p>Robin followed the rest of the group deeper into the secret caverns that were a part of the Howe Caverns adventure park. It wasn't quite like the adventures she used to take back home, with just a select group of friends as her companions, but it was still a fun way to pass the time.<p>

She had asked Crystal if she could join the younger kids at Ironback, but aforementioned kids had expressed their disapproval of that idea in loud groans. James took the lead immediately, silencing his peers. He explained that while they still thought she was the coolest teacher they had ever had, they didn't want the other Bayville High students to think they needed a baby sitter. With her hurt at their initial reaction sedated, she had laughed and told them she wouldn't want that either.

So she had settled for a nearby attraction that Crystal had suggested to her.

As the group approached the magnificent underground waterfall that was one hundred feet tall at least, she smiled to herself. Maybe she would bring the kids here on a field trip sometime.

XXXX

"Come on," Scott called as he stopped running just long enough to turn and face his team. "Let's pick it up. We're almost to the base!"

He turned around and continued running as soon as he finished speaking. Rogue, who was the closest to Scott, huffed, "What's with Mr. Decathalon? He's as bad as Sergeant Hawk!"

"All he cares about is winning this thing," Kitty stated. Glancing over at the boy running alongside her, she said, "Hey, Kurt, can't you, like, make yourself useful and just teleport us up to the top?"

"This trip is of the power-free variety, I'm told," Kurt replied.

"Tell that to Inara," Kitty grumbled, glaring at the girl running along her other side.

"Technically," Inara countered, not sounding nearly as breathless as her companions, "I'm not using my powers. The energy boost is just a lucky perk."

"Just ignore her," Bridget said with a grin from just behind Inara. "We all do when she gets like this. Besides, if we just keep following Scott's lead, I know we'll win."

Inara looked back to stick her tongue out at Bridget, effectively missing the glance Kitty and Kurt exchanged. Neither of them had ever seen the blonde talk this much outside of Danger Room sessions and parallel dimensions.

"Bridget's right," Jean said as she came up between Kitty and Kurt. She, too, had missed the glance they had shared. She obviously found nothing abnormal about Bridget's new found willingness to assert herself. "We just need to keep moving."

"The mosquitoes here are the size of pelicans!" Evan complained, stopping to swat at the blood sucking insects around him. "No bugs like this in the 'burb, man. Why are we here again?"

Ailana, who had stopped a few feet ahead of him to wait, rolled her eyes as he started running again. Once he caught up to her, she fell into step beside him. "Now I know why you and Aug are best friends," she teased. "You complain just as much as he does."

His only response was a fierce glare to which she simply gave him a playful smirk.

* * *

><p>Todd moved up the side of the mountain with ease, jumping from one small ledge to the next. Annastasia wasn't far behind him, her fingernails transformed into sharp claws to give her a better grip on the rocky surface. A rope was tied around her waist, trailing down to loop once around Emily's waist, then once around Madison's, before being tied together in front of the two older girls. Madison's ability to manipulate gravity made all three girls lighter, allowing them to scale the mountain faster.<p>

"What's taking you boys so long?" Todd called down as he stopped on a ledge just long enough to look down past the girls.

A good distance down from the girls, Fred was slowly making his way up the side of the mountain. Using his immense strength, he slammed his feet into the rock to make foot holes, managing to find decent grips for his large hands. Two ropes were tied around each of his arms, where they met with his shoulders. A few yards below him, Lance and Pietro slowly walked up the side of the mountain, the two ropes tied around their waists.

"Man, if he slips and falls, we are history," Pietro hissed as he glanced over at Lance. Turning back to look at the enormous teen pulling him along, he added, "Death by blubber bomb!"

"Fastest way to the top is a straight line, Pietro," Lance told him in a matter-of-fact tone. "We are winning this race, make no mistake."

* * *

><p>The library at the Rosemund Academy was a welcoming sight in the blue eyes of Hunter Burden. It was his favorite place to be, but he rarely found time to indulge himself. What with the training and extracurricular studies of the six high school students residing at Rosemund's, a lazy afternoon spent in the confines of the library was almost impossible. So while the younger kids were at survival camp, and Ava and Jay were visiting her parents in California, he was going to spend as much time in the vast library as possible.<p>

Grabbing the classic novel he was halfway through, he seated himself comfortably in one of the large, plush armchairs scattered around the room. Before he became lost in the great piece of literature in his hands, he took a moment to look around the room, remembering a time when there were only two high school students roaming the academy's halls.

If he concentrated on the dark brown chair across from the one he occupied, he could almost see the faint figure of Inara nestled there, her father's latest book cradled in her lap and Shadow curled up beneath her feet. With a chuckle, he recalled Alex's disbelief at the fact that anyone could read as much as the two of them did. That boy was always full of energy, as long he maintained a healthy appetite, so he didn't understand how Inara could willingly sit statue still for hours on end.

With a shake of his head, Hunter turned his attention to the book his mind was begging him to hurry up and finish.

* * *

><p>Fred grunted as he fell to his knees on the cliff. After getting to his feet, he looked up at the three girls standing around the entrance to an abandoned mine. "Where's Toad?" he asked, noticing the younger boy's absence.<p>

"Todd," Annastasia replied, accentuating the name, "is checking for a short cut."

"Hey, Freddy," Lance called up from where he and Pietro hung suspended in the air. "A helping hand?"

Fred moved to stand next to the three girls, dragging the two teens up the side of the mountain as he did so. Lance and Pietro could be heard protesting as they were roughly hauled up, but Fred didn't seem all that concerned by it. Once they were back on their feet, Lance and Pietro were quick to shed the ropes tied around their waists as Fred shrugged his end of the ropes off his shoulders. Pietro glared at the back of Fred's head as he joined his teammates, while Lance studied the entrance to the mine.

"An abandoned mine?"

"Toad's looking for a short cut," Fred told him as he crossed his arms over his chest. Annastasia scowled at the fact that he hadn't used Todd's actual name for the second time.

"Hey," Todd called as he reappeared at the entrance. "There's a tunnel in there that's like a stairway to the top."

"Now you're talking," Lance said with a grin as he moved to tear the board that had been nailed across the entrance away, ignoring the 'Keep Out' that was written across it.

"I'm not so sure about this," Annastasia said in a wary tone as the boys followed Lance into the mine. She glanced down at the board Lance had just discarded before noticing another board next to it. The word 'Danger' was written across this one. "Doesn't seem like such a good idea."

"I'm with Annie," Madison said.

"Just stick close to me," Emily told the other two girls as she ushered them after the boys. "I'll get us out if something goes wrong."

* * *

><p>Scott tilted his head back to peer up at the top of the mountain, shielding his eyes from the glaring sun as he tried to catch a glimpse of the flag.<p>

"Spot the flag?" Kurt asked as he came to stand beside the older boy.

"No," Scott replied as he turned to look at the German mutant. "Pop up top and see if it's still there."

"But, I thought," Kurt began in a hesitant tone. Glancing back at the rest of the group who were just now climbing onto the cliff where he and Scott stood, he asked, "What about Jean?"

"Hey, you wanna win or not?" Scott countered, placing a hand on Kurt's shoulder.

"Okay, fine," Kurt said, shrugging the hand off. "But she's not going to like this, I can tell you that." He disappeared with a bamf, leaving behind a dark cloud of smoke that had barely dissipated when he reappeared. "It's there," he said as Evan approached. "We are very close. And no sign of the enemy."

"Forget the pitons," Scott said as he turned to Evan. "Evan, spike a rope up there. Time is wasting!"

"I think Odysseus is starting to lose control," Inara whispered to Bridget as Evan asked Scott if he was sure.

"He's only human, Inara," Bridget whispered back as she rolled her eyes. Deciding Odysseus and Penelope weren't the worst literary couple Inara could've used, she let the name slide. "He is allowed to lose control sometimes."

Inara snickered as Evan looped the rope around a spike protruding from his wrist. As he launched it into the air, she said, "Especially when competing against Lance, it seems."

Scott grinned as the spike became imbedded in the rock a good distance up the mountain. "That flag is ours!"

He spit into his right palm, rubbed it against his left, and moved to firmly grasp the rope. As he started climbing, he spared a glance over his shoulder only to find that not one of his teammates had moved to follow him. He dropped back onto the cliff as Jean approached before holding the rope out for her to go first. With a dignified huff, she turned away from him and began to scale the mountain by hand.

"How did you know to make us wear gloves?" Ailana asked Inara as she started climbing the mountain.

"My mum used to take me pyramid climbing while Daddy worked on his next book," she replied. "She always made me wear gloves."

"Next time you talk to your mom," Ailana grunted. "Tell her thanks for me."

* * *

><p>Todd led his teammates deep within the mine, where sunlight was streaming in from a shaft above them. Lance moved to check out the shaft, scowling after a few seconds. Whirling on Todd, he grabbed the younger boy by his shoulders, slamming him into the wall.<p>

"You bonehead," he growled as the earth around them began to shake. Emily placed her hands on Annastasia's and Madison's shoulders as he went on, the shaking not ceasing. "We can't get through there! We probably lost because of you!"

"I-I kinda figured you could, you know, avalanche it loose a little bit," Todd said in a nervous tone.

"He's right, Lance," Pietro said as he stepped forward. "Give it some more juice, Lance, and you'll unclog it."

"Alright," Lance said, shoving Todd away from him.

"That's our cue, girls," Emily muttered as Lance shouted for everyone to stand back. None of the boys noticed the shadows leaping forward to engulf the three girls.

Madison shivered at the blast of cold air that always came with shadow travel, while Annastasia merely rubbed her arms. The light coat of fur covering her body kept her body temperature at a decent level, even in the cold darkness. As the darkness receded, they found themselves standing on a cliff beside the opening of the shaft.

"Wait here," Emily said as she began to fade back into the shadows. "I'm going back for the guys."

* * *

><p>"There it is!" Scott exclaimed as he stepped onto another cliff. The flag could easily be seen by the whole group now. "Victory!"<p>

A familiar tingling sensation flooded Inara's entire being, causing her to gasp and spin around to check on her teammates. Everyone behind her was safely standing on the flat surface of the cliff, except for Evan. He was still making his way up the side of the mountain. Knowing she only had seconds to act, she darted back toward Evan, clenching the tip of her left glove's middle finger between her teeth. With a firm tug, she freed her left hand just as the ground started to shake. In a move that she'd only ever seen her mother pull off, she slid down the side of the mountain, luckily finding a sturdy purchase for her right foot as she gripped the jagged edge of the cliff with her right hand. Reaching out with her bare hand, she latched on to Evan's wrist just as he lost his grip. His other hand shot up to wrap around her wrist as he dangled below her.

Two hands wrapped firmly around her right wrist, just below the edge of her glove. She looked up to see Jean kneeling above her, holding her in place while Kitty quickly tied a rope around Ailana's waist. Ailana eased herself over the side of the cliff after Scott finished tying the other end of the rope around his own waist, serving as the Hawaiian mutant's anchor. Evan reluctantly released Inara's wrist only to quickly latch on to the rope holding Ailana. She gripped his arm tightly and urged him to place his feet on the top of her own. Once that was done, she gave Inara one firm nod. The whimper that escaped Evan's lips as Inara let go of his hand was barely audible, so Ailana pretended not to hear it. Scott quickly hauled them up, and Kurt and Kitty helped them over the edge of the cliff.

Jean managed to pull Inara back over the edge of the cliff, since the younger girl was shorter and lighter than the redhead. Once she was back on her feet, Inara retrieved the glove from between her teeth and slipped it back on her hand.

"You're bleeding," Jean announced, green eyes focused on Inara's right leg.

When Inara followed her gaze, she was surprised to see a decent sized cut on her outer thigh, just below the hem of her shorts. "Huh," she said, grimacing lightly as it started to sting. "I must've gotten cut on a rock. I didn't notice due to the adrenaline."

"Here," Ailana said, pulling off the red handkerchief holding her bangs back. "Tie this around it."

"Thanks, 'Nara," Evan said in a highly grateful tone as Jean proceeded to tie the red fabric around Inara's leg.

"You're welcome," she replied, flashing him a slightly weary grin.

"Nice move," Scott said, sounding highly impressed. "I'm guessing that tremor was Lance?"

"Yeah," Inara confirmed with a nod. "I think they're close, but I'm not entirely sure."

"They are," Bridget said, turning her head to the right. "They're in a caved in mine shaft just over there." She raised her hand to point in the general direction of the shaft.

Everyone turned to look at Scott, waiting for him to decide their course of action. He glanced up at the flag for a very brief moment before turning back to his team. With a determined look on his face, he said, "Let's go see if they need any help."

The others grinned as they all followed Bridget toward the shaft.

* * *

><p>Emily reappeared with Lance just as the X-Men and their allies rounded the side of the mountain. The toll for using her powers in less than ideal conditions caused her to black out. Lance caught her before she hit the ground, picking her up bridal style.<p>

"Freddy's still down there," he told the X-Men, knowing he and his teammates couldn't get the large teen out on their own.

"We'll get him," Scott assured him. "Bridget, shift into your rock form. Ailana, tie your end of the rope around her waist. Kitty, tie this end around your waist."

"Why am I the one who has to, like, go down there?" Kitty complained as she snatched the offered rope out of Scott's hand.

"Because we may need you to phase Blob out," Scott told her as she tied the rope around her.

After Ailana got the rope tied around a transformed Bridget, Scott lowered Kitty into the shaft. With the X-Men distracted, Todd grinned and pointed to the easily visible flag. "Heh, Pietro," he said, catching the speed demon's attention.

"I'm there," the white haired teen replied with a grin before becoming a blur as he zipped away.

"Hey!" Kurt cried as Pietro blew by.

He quickly teleported to the top of the mountain, reaching the flag just as Pietro came to a stop on the opposite side. Both teens reached out to wrap both hands around the flag pole at the same time. As they struggled to claim the flag for their respective teams, the Blackbird flies down so that it is level with the mountain top.

"X-Men," Storm's voice calls over the external speaker. "Professor X is in danger, and so is Mystique. Thorns, you are not required to aid us."

"No," Inara said, stepping forward and taking the place of leader in the absence of both James and Alex. "We'll help, but we've got to pick up the others."

"We're missing a few members, too," Lance said.

"That mean you're up to it?" Scott asked, directing the question to Lance.

"Let's grab our guys and go," Lance replied with a smirk.

* * *

><p>A look of surprise briefly crossed James' features as the tall tree beside him reached down to wrap a branch around his waist. Alex and Augustus both surprised yelps as the same tree wrapped two more branches around them. They were lifted into the air toward a hovering Blackbird as Kurt teleported down to place a hand on Damion's and Liron's shoulders.<p>

"We've all got somezhing to take care of," he told Sergeant Hawk.

The stern looking man simply arched an eyebrow, only looking mildly surprised as Kurt handed him the flag with a Polaroid taped to the pole. Kurt teleported back to the jet with the two Brotherhood members, who joined James, Alex, and Augustus in being filled in as the Blackbird headed for the Xavier Institute at top speed.

* * *

><p>Wolverine weakly raised his head, watching as nothing stopped the Juggernaut from getting to his brother. He was seriously considering trying to struggle to his feet before his healing factor finished doing its job in a last ditch effort to stop the behemoth when a familiar voice rang out behind him.<p>

"Take a break, Wolverine," Cyclops called from the entrance to the Danger Room. The X-Men and Brotherhood stood around him, all dressed in their battle attire. He could even make out the Rosemund teens, looking out of place in their hiking gear.

"We'll take it from here," Avalanche added.

"Jean," Cyclops said, turning to the redhead on his right.

Juggernaut stretched a hand out toward Xavier, who cringed and closed his eyes, before he was suddenly lifted into the air. Jean fell to her knees in the middle of the metal floor, struggling to keep the large mutant off the ground. Pele rushed forward at Cyclops' call, stretching her hands out to heat the air underneath Juggernaut in the hopes of keeping him aloft.

"Cain's helmet," Wolverine shouted. "Remove it!"

"Activate: Nymph's Run, T-Five!" Cyclops ordered as both Jean and Pele collapsed from over-exertion. Hidden compartments all over the Danger Room suddenly burst open, revealing plants of all sizes.

Juggernaut's feet hit the metal floor as the two girls slump against each other. He moved to approach them when Blob slammed into his left side from out of nowhere. "Unstoppable," he said, smirking, "meet the unmovable!"

Nightcrawler teleported onto Juggernaut's back to unfasten one of the latches. Juggernaut reached over his shoulder to grab the teen after recovering, pulling him around to the front before tossing him aside. The branch of a nearby tree reached out to wrap around Nightcrawler's waist before he smashed into a wall, lowering him to the ground and gently setting him on his feet.

Juggernaut charged Blob, slamming into him and sending him flying into a wall. Cyclops and Dynamo jump in front of the unconscious Brotherhood member and send blasts of red and green into Juggernaut's chest. He stumbles a little before picking up a piece of the Danger Room he had discarded earlier. As he hurled it at the two boys, one of Legion's soldiers suddenly appeared in front of them, easily preventing the piece of debris from hitting either of them.

Avalanche handed a still unconscious Phantom to Boneyard before he and Gravity stepped up behind Juggernaut. While he used his powers to dent the metal floor around the massive mutant, she used hers to intensify the gravity in the same area. Together, they brought the Juggernaut to his knees long enough for Quicksilver to zip in and unfasten another latch. Juggernaut shook Quicksilver off of his back as he overcame the effects of Avalanche's and Gravity's combined abilities and stood up.

Strong winds immediately surround him and knock him down again as Storm and Vortex approached with their hands held out in front of them. Shadowcat phased out of the nearest wall with Rogue, both girls quickly unfastening the last two latches before darting out of reach. Toad hopped onto the wall above Juggernaut. His tongue shot out to wrap around the metal nose guard between the eyes pieces of Juggernaut's helmet and pulled the heavy dome away from the rest of the red armor.

"No!" Juggernaut cried as he reached for the helmet to no avail.

"I'm sorry, Cain," Xavier said as he raised his fingers to his temples.

He turned to lock eyes with Xavier, fury etched across his face. Before he could take a step toward his brother, the small group of plants closest to him suddenly sprang to life and reached out to wrap around him. At least ten black, humanoid figures joined the plants in holding the unstoppable mutant back as the psychic attacks began.

It took several powerful blast to render the Juggernaut unconscious. During that time he managed to shake off most of the soldiers and tear through some of the plants holding him. The remaining soldiers and plants disappeared and retreated respectively as Cain Marko fell to the floor with a booming thud. The assembled teens cheered as they rushed forward to form a semi-circle around Xavier and Mystique.

"Now there's something you won't see every day," Mystique said as she looked around at the three united teams.

"I agree," Xavier said, looking over at Mystique as he added, "And that's a shame."

"Come on, boys and girls," Mystique said as she headed for the exit. "Let's get out of here before you're invited to a slumber party."

Emily, having finally regained consciousness, walked out with the support of Damion. She didn't seem all that heartbroken at missing the fight. Todd set the metal helmet he'd helped to remove on the floor before moving to follow them. The rest of the Brotherhood eyed Fred warily as they followed, hoping the large teen remained steady on his feet until he reached the boarding house.

"Hey, Summers," Lance called, stopping to turn and smirk at the leader of the X-Men. "As a group leader, you're only half bad."

"Well, then, next time you can call the shots," Scott replied with a small smile.

Lance opened his mouth to tell Scott there wouldn't be a next time when his eyes flickered over to settle on Inara. The words died on his lips and he simply gave a disbelieving 'hmph' as he turned back around and followed his team out.

* * *

><p>"Your bike is in the garage," Hunter told Alex as the six Rosemund teens stumbled through the front doors of the academy. When the boy simply nodded, he asked, "Did you have fun?"<p>

"Have fun?" Augustus asked with a groan. "Of course we didn't have fun! Not only did we have to endure survival camp, we had to fight some crazy guy on steroids! Do you know how hard that was?"

"I think he does, Aug," James said, noticing the knowing smile slowly making its way onto Hunter's lips.

"What?" Augustus burst, glancing between them. "You mean you knew we were gonna fight that.. that.."

"Behemoth," Inara offered with a weary grin. She had used a lot of energy keeping Juggernaut from reaching Xavier. Unstoppable was definitely a worthy title for him.

"Yeah," Augustus shouted vehemently. "Behemoth! And you didn't even warn us?"

"I saw the whole thing, Augustus," Hunter said with a little laugh. "I knew everyone would come out of it just fine."

Augustus simply gaped at the precognitive mutant for a few minutes before he threw his hands up in the air with a loud groan. "Unbelievable," he cried as he stormed up the stairs.

Bridget giggled quietly as she pulled Inara's right arm over her shoulder. "I'll take her up to her room, Alex," she told the blond on the chlorokinetic's other side. "Go get something to eat."

"Food," Alex groaned longingly as he eased out from under Inara's left arm. He placed a hand over his stomach, rubbing it lightly as he headed for the kitchen.

"I hope the girl he ends up marrying is a bloody genius when it comes to cooking," Inara mumbled wearily as Bridget began leading her up the stairs. Bridget giggled again while Ailana openly laughed as she followed them.

"Thanks," James said when it was just Hunter and himself in the foyer. "For letting us handle it."

"It wasn't a problem, James," the older man told him. "Like I said, I knew the outcome was good."

"Still," James said as he moved around his teacher to head up the stairs. "Thanks."

Hunter watched the boy until he reached the top of the stairs. Knowing that James was thanking him for trusting the teens with what they would come to consider their first official mission, he smiled again. He had, of course, told Crystal as soon as the vision came to him. Luckily, she had also agreed that their charges could handle it. A loud crash drew his attention in the direction of the kitchen and he sighed. Quickly moving toward the kitchen, he decided to go assist Alex in whipping up something to eat before the energy converter blew up the microwave. Again.

* * *

><p><strong>So, I haven't been playing with Liron's insane mood swings. I remedied that a little in this chapter. I hope to remedy it more so in future chapters. Again, let me know what you think. Hated it? Liked it? <strong>

**For those of you reading As They Seem, that update should be coming shortly. I hope.**


	10. Shadowed Past

_She ran through the forest, freshly fallen snow crunching beneath her boots. She clutched the small bundle in her arms closer to her as she risked a glance over her shoulder. The flickering, orange glows of the torches were getting bigger, the angry yells becoming louder. They were gaining on her._

_When she spotted the rickety bridge ahead, a surge of hope swept through her. If she could just get across, then she would be safe. More importantly, __**he **__would be safe. As the distance between her and the bridge grew smaller, the hope inside of her intensified. She was almost to the bridge, almost to salvation._

_She had only taken a few steps onto the bridge when something hit her back. She stumbled forward, her hold on the bundle loosening. When she hit the rope railing, the bundle slid from her grasp, plummeting to the icy water below._

"_No!" she cried, stretching an arm out toward the descending bundle, but it was too late. All she could do was watch in devastation as it disappeared into the mist caused by the waterfall. _

"_There she is!" _

_The mob of angry villagers had reached the bridge, but she no longer cared. Her son, her precious little boy, was gone. Even with knowing he was a mutant, she knew better than to hope he survived the fall. He had not inherited her healing factor, of that she was sure. She turned to face the mob, tears silently making their way down her cheeks._

Rogue awoke to a terrified scream ripping itself from her throat and Kitty frantically shaking her shoulders.

"Rogue," Kitty said, blue eyes wide and full of worry. "Rogue, it's okay. It was just a dream."

"N-no," Rogue stuttered, breathing heavily. "Ah t-think it was m-more than a dream, Kit."

Kitty frowned, wondering what the older girl meant. Before she could ask, there was a knock on their bedroom door. "Rogue? Kitty?" Jean's concerned vice drifted through the wood. Is everything okay in there?"

Kitty cast a questioning look at her roommate. When Rogue gave one short nod before dropping her head into her hands, Kitty turned toward the door. "You can come in, Jean."

The door opened, but Jean wasn't the only person to enter the room. Scott, Kurt, and Evan all followed close behind. "What happened?" Jean asked, concerned green eyes taking in the shaken Southerner.

"Rogue had a nightmare," Kitty informed them. She turned back to her roommate, reaching up to tuck a tuft of white hair behind Rogue's ear, careful not to touch her pale skin. "I woke up when she started screaming. Phased right through the bed."

"Rogue?" Scott made her name a question, one eyebrow arched over the top of his shades.

"Ah don't think it was a dream," she admitted, her face still hidden. "Ah've been dreaming it for ovah a week now. It's always the same, always so vivid."

"Can you remember what it's about?" Jean asked.

"There's this woman," Rogue began slowly, "an' she's runnin' through these woods. It's cold, there's snow on the ground, an' she's got somethin' clutched tight to her chest. Lahke she's protectin' it." She paused here for a minute, frowning as she tries to recall more details. When they finally come, she continued, "Which makes sense, 'cause there's people chasin' her, an' they don't sound happy. She gets to this bridge, thinks she's safe, when one of 'em throws somethin' at her. It hits her in the back and she looses the bundle over the side of the bridge." She squeezed her eyes shut as the next little bit of the dream flashed through her mind. Choking back a sob, she cried, "Oh Gawd! It's a baby! An' it looks - it looks -" she stopped abruptly, her breath catching in her throat.

"Rogue," Kitty urged, both voice and eyes laced with worry. "What is it?"

"It's you," Rogue whispered, turning wide green eyes to Kurt. "Kurt, the baby's you!"

"Vhat?" he asked in an incredulous tone, taking a step back.

"It is you," she insisted. "Ah just know it is!" Her hands ball into fists and she slams them down on her knees, causing Kitty to jump. "Why am Ah havin' this dream?"

"The Professor can help us sort this out in the morning," Jean assured Rogue, gently placing her hands on the other girl's shoulder.

_No, Jean_, the Professor called out telepathically. _This is an important matter. Rogue, Kurt, if you would please come down to the library. The rest of you should try and get some sleep. In case you've forgotten, you all have exams tomorrow._

"Can you keep anything from that guy?" Evan grumbled as he led the way out of the girls' room.

* * *

><p>"Rogue, if you would please sit here?" Xavier asked when they entered the library, motioning to the chair closest to him. "Since the dream was yours, I think it would be best to start with you."<p>

"Is this gonna hurt?" she asked as Kurt sat down in the chair next to hers.

"No," he assured her as he moved closer to her chair. "Just relax and try to concentrate on the dream."

Kurt watched anxiously as both Xavier and Rogue closed their eyes. Xavier's hands moved to hover on either side of Rogue's head as he delved into her mind.

_She ran through the forest, freshly fallen snow crunching beneath her boots. She clutched the small bundle in her arms closer to her as she risked a glance over her shoulder. The flickering, orange glows of the torches were getting bigger, the angry yells becoming louder. They were gaining on her._

_When she spotted the rickety bridge ahead, a surge of hope swept through her. If she could just get across, then she would be safe. More importantly, __**he **__would be safe. As the distance between her and the bridge grew smaller, the hope inside of her intensified. She was almost to the bridge, almost to salvation._

_She had only taken a few steps onto the bridge when something hit her back. She stumbled forward, her hold on the bundle loosening. When she hit the rope railing, the bundle slid from her grasp, plummeting to the icy water below._

"_No!" she cried, stretching an arm out toward the descending bundle, but it was too late. All she could do was watch in devastation as it disappeared into the mist caused by the waterfall. _

"_There she is!" _

_The mob of angry villagers had reached the bridge, but she no longer cared. Her son, her precious little boy, was gone. Even with knowing he was a mutant, she knew better than to hope he survived the fall. He had not inherited her healing factor, of that she was sure. She turned to face the mob, tears silently making their way down her cheeks. Her unusual yellow eyes widened at the sight before her._

_The mob was no longer angry, but terrified. Surrounding them was a cage made of pieces of metal that looked to be held together by magic. She stumbled back, her hands grasping at the rope railings of the bridge._

"_Do not be afraid," a deep voice spoke from behind her. She quickly spun around to face a floating figure clothed in red and purple armor. A purple cape fluttered behind him in the wind and a red helmet adorned his head. "I am here to help."_

"_I didn't ask for anyone's help," she bit out. Her tears had stopped for now, but her eyes were still slightly damp, hindering the effect of her glare._

"_Regardless," he replied. _

_With a flick of his wrist, a single piece of metal removed itself from the makeshift cage surrounding the villagers. It quickly twisted around her, trapping her arms at her sides. She struggled even as she was lifted off of the bridge, but to no avail. The figure rose with her, floating over the side of the bridge before they began to descend. Once they were five feet above the ground, they glided alongside the river, and her eyes frantically searched for the bundle she had lost._

"_There," he said, hidden by a large tree as she landed in the bushes along the river bank. _

_She glared up at him, the piece of metal still holding her captive, only to find he was pointing to the opposite bank. She lifted her head, careful to remain hidden, and spotted a young couple standing near the river. The woman was holding the bundle she'd thought lost forever while the man hovered over her right shoulder._

"_No!" she gasped, struggling against the metal once more. "Please, let me go! They'll kill him!"_

_He remained silent. She continued to struggle against the metal as they both watched the woman slowly unwrap the bundle. Tears were streaming down her face again as the blue furred baby was revealed. The woman gasped, but did not scream in horror. Instead, she turned to her husband with a wide smile and spoke in rapid German. He reached down to gently brush his hand across the top of the baby's head. Smiling gently, he nodded to his wife, and her smile only grew as she turned back to the baby in her arms._

"_They - They aren't afraid of him?" she whispered, eyes full of confusion._

"_He will be better off here than in your care, Raven."_

"_You don't know that," she snapped. Then she tensed as much as she could with the metal still around her. "How do you know my name?"_

"_I have my ways," he stated simply. "And I do know that."_

_With that, he turned and glided away, the metal around her loosening before falling to the ground with a dull thud. She turned back to look back at what she would be giving up if she followed him. The woman was happily playing with the baby, while the man watched from where he'd gone back to fishing, a pleasant smile gracing his lips._

_With a heavy sigh, Raven Darkholme covered her head with the hood of her cloak before turning to follow the metal wielding mutant._

Charles Xavier's eyes snapped open and his hands moved back to steeple in front of his chest, his elbows resting on the arms of his wheelchair. As Rogue's eyes slowly fluttered open, he said, "It seems that you were right, Rogue. Your dream is not a dream at all, but a repressed memory."

"A repressed memory?" she repeated in awe.

"Professor?" Kurt questioned at the same moment, afraid to ask the question he wanted an answer to.

"Yes, Kurt," Xavier said with a nod. "The baby in the memory is indeed you."

"Vhat does this mean?" Kurt asked, confusion lacing his yellow eyes.

"And why am Ah havin' this dream?" Rogue asked for the second time that night. "Shouldn't it be Kurt's dream?"

"While it is possible for Kurt to retain memories from such a young age, it's an extremely rare occurrence. However, I think it's more likely that Rogue absorbed the memories from someone who knows about Kurt's past."

"But," Kurt began, frowning, "who could that be?"

"I'm not sure," Xavier answered, frowning. He hated lying to his students, especially after the discussion they had had after Rogue's joining, but he needed to speak to Raven before revealing what he knew. "Let's try to get some sleep. We'll continue after school tomorrow."

Kurt's shoulders and tail sagged in disappointment as he followed Rogue out of the library. Rogue placed a comforting hand on his shoulder, careful to keep the fabric of his night shirt between them, but she remained silent. She wasn't sure what to say.

* * *

><p>"Crystal Rosemund."<p>

She lifted her head at the sound of the familiar voice. Standing in the doorway of her office was an older man with gray hair and a patch over his left eye. He was dressed in the same military style uniform she always saw him in, with his hands crossed over his chest and a toothpick held firmly between his teeth.

"Colonel Nick Fury," she greeted, setting the paperwork she'd been going over to the side. "I haven't seen you in a while."

"Not since the funeral," he stated with a nod as he moved further into the room. "Glad to see you didn't get caught up in your grief."

"You didn't come here to check up on me, Nick."

The fact that it wasn't a question made him chuckle. "You're right." He reached up to pull the toothpick out of his mouth. "One of your students is Alexander Rogers, correct?"

Her entire body tensed slightly, but the arch of his eyebrow indicated it was enough for him to detect the change. "Why are you asking?"

"I'm not here to take the boy in, Crystal," he told her, flicking the toothpick into the trashcan beside her desk. "I just want to talk to him."

"About what?" she asked, body still tense.

"His grandfather," he said simply.

Her body relaxed even as she frowned at him. "His family's dead, Nick. There's nothing to talk about."

"Actually," he began, reaching into his jacket to pull out a hand held PDA, "there is."

"What's this?" she asked as she took the offered PDA from him.

"It contains birth certificates for his father and his uncle," he informed her. "Abraham Joseph Rogers was born in January of 1944. His brother, James Grant Rogers, was born in August of 1945. Margaret Carter is listed on both certificates as the mother, but no one was listed as the father."

"Okay," she sad slowly as she looked over the data, confirming what Nick was telling her. "What exactly do you think that means?"

"Abraham Rogers inherited a motorcycle from his unknown father," Fury told her. "A motorcycle that was passed down to Alexander when Abraham died."

"That's right," she said, still feeling a little lost.

He reached into his jacket one more, pulling a worn photo out and setting it down on the desk. "Would it happen to be _this_ motorcycle?" he asked as he slid it toward her.

She studied the motorcycle in the picture for a minute before nodding. "Yes, that's it," she confirmed, before something else registered in her mind. "Nick," she began tentatively, glancing up at him with slightly widened eyes, "Is that who I think it is?"

"That is the original owner of that bike," he told her. "Captain America."

* * *

><p>"Rogue's recent contact with you has given her some of your darker memories. She's been having nightmares about an incident involving an infant," Xavier said, watching the stoic face of Principal Raven Darkholme over the top of her desk.<p>

"You're fishing," she accused. "You know nothing."

"I know your relationship to the boy, Mystique," Xavier informed her. "What I don't know is what happened that caused you to run. And where Erik fits into it all."

"Dear, dear Charles," she said, standing and walking toward the bookshelf on her right. As she reached up to pull a book down from a shelf above her head, she went on. "How incredibly frustrating for you. To realize that that amazing mind of your knows so very little really."

"Was it worth the loss of your son, Raven?" he asked softly.

As he closed his eyes, images flashed through her mind. An angry mob, a desperate run, a small bundle tumbling into icy waters. The book fell from her hands, handing on its spine against the carpet. She spun around, eyes full of anger.

"Get out," she demanded, pointing toward the door. "Get out now!"

As he maneuvered his wheelchair toward the door, he said over his shoulder, "Just in case you were curious, he turned out to be a very fine lad."

Once the door was closed behind him, she stumbled to the edge of her desk and braced herself against it. As her hands splayed over the hard wood, she fought back the tears threatening to spill from behind her glasses.

* * *

><p>"Alex," Hunter called as the high schoolers filed into the kitchen from the garage. "Crystal's waiting for you in her office."<p>

Alex, who had just taken a bite of an apple, swallowed hard as the rest of the teens exchanged looks. "Am I in trouble?"

Hunter smiled and shook his head. "No, you're not in trouble."

When Hunter didn't elaborate further, Alex nodded. "Okay," he said. He took another bite of his apple as he left the kitchen.

"James," Hunter said, eyes focusing on the boy in question. "I need a word with you."

"Yes, sir," James said with a nod.

"The rest of you are free to relax," Hunter told them with a smile as he led James out of the kitchen. He led James into the office Crystal had assigned to him, closing the door before he spoke again. "Mystique will be sending one of the Brotherhood to the Xavier Mansion this afternoon. She will secretly deliver a letter to Kurt stating that if he wishes to know more about his past, he will need to go to the new mall construction site at sundown, alone. Using Gavin, I ran through all the possible scenarios. The best outcome is if I send you and one other in, just to ensure Kurt's safety. Do not interfere unless necessary."

"You aren't going to tell the X-Men?" James asked, one eyebrow arched.

"Xavier knows," Hunter said. "We both agree that this is best. Kurt needs the answers Mystique will give him."

James nodded. "Okay. Who else should I take?"

"I'll leave that decision up to you," Hunter told him, opening the door. "You're free to go."

As James left the office, he was already going over each of his teammates' strengths and weaknesses in his head.

* * *

><p>"Hello, Alexander," Nick Fury greeted as the teen entered Crystal's office. By way of introduction, he added, "Nick Fury."<p>

"It's Alex," the boy told him, eyeing him cautiously as he shut the door behind him.

"Please come sit down, Alex," Crystal said while giving him a reassuring smile.

"Do you know much about your paternal grandfather?" Fury asked as Alex made his way to the chair in front of Crystal's desk. Crystal shot him a hard look that he pointedly ignored.

"I know he was in the war," Alex said, shifting a bit uncomfortably.

"Did you know you were named after him?"

Alex frowned. "No, I was named after my mom's dad."

"Not Alexander," Fury informed him. "Steven. Steven's the name you got from your grandfather."

Alex's eyebrows furrowed together. "Steven?"

"Yeah," Fury said. "Steven Grant Rogers. He preferred Steve, though. When he wasn't going by Captain America, that is."

"What?" Alex asked, wide eyes darting between Crystal and Fury. "Captain America was my grandpa?"

"Is," Fury informed him. "Captain America's still alive, in a sense. He's not doin' too good, so we put 'im on ice. A simple DNA test could prove your relation and determine whether or not you can help him."

"No," Crystal stated firmly before Alex could reply.

"You should let the boy answer, Crystal," Fury said without taking his eye off of Alex.

"No," she repeated firmly, standing up. "Alex is only sixteen. As his legal guardian, I will not allow you to use him in one of your experiments."

Alex had been ready to protest Crystal's decision, until the last word she said registered. "Experiments?" he asked, paling slightly as he glanced at Fury.

"You tried using a healing factor to revive Steve," Crystal shot at Fury, her eyes flashing dangerously. "It didn't work."

"Alex is a direct descendant, Crystal," Fury said. Though his voice remained calm, there was a hint of an edge to it. "That makes this situation different."

"Alex," Crystal addressed the teen without looking away from Fury. "You are free to go."

There was an edge in her tone that Alex had never heard before. It sounded like she was struggling to keep a somewhat calm demeanor. It was that edge that stopped him from arguing. He nodded, though he knew she wouldn't see it, and stood up. With great effort, he managed to walk to the door and exit the office.

"Crystal," Fury said, taking a step toward her desk. "That boy may be the key to bringing back Captain America!"

"While he is under my guardianship, the answer is no," she shot back, barely containing her anger.

"Two years and he'll be able to make that call himself," Fury stated calmly, but she heard the underlining threat in his tone.

"That will give him plenty of time to have a nice, long heart to heart with Logan about S.H.I.E.L.D. then," she replied, lifting her chin just slightly.

Though it didn't register on his features, she felt the sharp stab of surprise that swept through him. "Gavin revealed a lot to you, didn't he?"

"Maybe," she said. "Now, I think our business is concluded."

"Yeah," Fury said, his lips forming a tight, thin line. "Guess it is."

She waited until the door shut behind him before slumping back down in her chair. She took a few deep breaths, willing herself to calm down as she closed her eyes. While she had suspected Fury was there for Alex's healing factor, she also knew he would have cornered the teen alone if she'd refused to let him talk to him. At least this way she was able to spare her charge from whatever Fury had planned.

Opening her eyes, she picked up the phone sitting on the corner of her desk. She dialed the number for the Xavier Institute and waited as it began to ring. After the third ring, someone answered.

"Xavier Institute."

She knew by the gruff voice that it was the man she needed to speak to. "Hello, Logan," she greeted warmly. "I have a favor to ask of you."

* * *

><p>"You sure about this?" Emily asked as Mystique, still in the guise of the principal, handed her a large envelope.<p>

"Yes," Mystique replied. "You can slip in and out easily enough."

"Alright," she said, though she still sounded a bit apprehensive.

She turned around to step into the shadows created by the bleachers when Mystique spoke again. "Phantom," she called. Then, in a softer tone the teen had never heard her use, she said, "Emily. Don't tell the others."

Something in the older woman's usually hard eyes made her nod in agreement before she disappeared into the shadows. She materialized from the shadows in a hallway of the Xavier Institute, right in front of the bedroom door of Kurt Wagner. She bent down to slip the envelope under the door. Then she straightened up, knocked on the door, and melted back into the shadows.

"What did the boss lady want?" Madison asked as soon as she stepped out of the shadows and into the living room.

She glanced at the girl lounging carelessly on the couch. After the incident involving Dylan, Emily had sat Madison down to explain that manipulating her teammates was not acceptable. Madison had been unexpectedly agreeable, assuring Emily that she'd leave Todd and Freddy alone. Emily had ended the conversation with a smirk, informing Madison that anyone else was fair game, which had the gravity manipulator perking up almost instantly.

"She needed me to go on a small side mission," Emily said with a shrug. "Nothing too important."

"Alright," Madison said, turning her attention back to the television.

"Where are Liron and Annie?"

"Out back with Sylvie," Madison replied nonchalantly. "I think they're working on combat training."

Emily arched an eyebrow. "Why aren't you out there?"

Madison grinned up at her. "My sparring partner wasn't home yet. Any chance you'll pretend to not be here?"

Emily rolled her eyes at the other girl's bout of laziness. "Come on," she said, dragging a feebly protesting Madison off the couch. "Let's go join them."

* * *

><p>Her squeal of surprise was cut off by a hand covering her mouth as she was pulled into a small, dark room. A light above her head suddenly flared to life, and after her eyes adjusted to its bright glow the hand was removed. She arched an eyebrow at Alex, whose face was barely a foot from hers.<p>

"Alex," Inara began, glancing around them, "why on Earth did you just drag me into a closet?"

"I might be related to Captain America," he said in a rush.

"I'm sorry, what?" she asked, unsure she'd heard him right.

"When I went to Miss Rosemund's office earlier, there was this guy there. He called himself Nick Fury. He thinks I'm related to Captain America," he elaborated, running his fingers through his hair.

Both of her eyebrows shot up. "Really?"

"Yeah. He said a simple DNA test could prove I was, but that it could also determine if I could save him."

"Save him?" she asked with a frown. "I thought he died."

"Well, according to that Fury guy, he didn't. He mentioned putting him on ice, and Miss Rosemund said something about a cure. I think," he paused, took a deep breath, and continued, "I think he's alive, but he's sick."

"Okay," she said slowly, still processing what he was saying. "That still doesn't tell me why you pulled me into a closet."

"I want to know for sure," he told her. "Because if I am related to him, I want to try and help him. Miss Rosemund won't let that Fury guy do the testing, though."

She sighed. "There's not much the two of us can do, Alex. There's not much the whole bloody team could do. I mean, we do probably do our own DNA test with Miss Latimer's help, but we'd need a sample from him as well."

"Damn it!" he bit out in frustration, slamming his fist into the door.

It flew off its hinges out into the hallway, where three metal claws promptly sliced it in half before it collided with their wielder.

"Easy, kid," Logan grunted, his claws sliding back into his knuckles with a 'snikt'. "Unnecessary damage leads to high remodelin' bills."

"Uh, hi, Logan," Alex said, giving the gruff Canadian a sheepish grin. "You here to see Miss Rosemund?"

"Actually, I'm here to talk to you."

"Me?" Alex asked, eyebrows shooting upward.

"Yep," Logan said. "Why don't we head for the garage? You can show me that bike of yours."

"Uh, okay, sure," Alex replied, slowly inching out of the closet. While he was curious as to what Logan wanted to talk to him about, he was also a little afraid.

Inara watched as they disappeared down the hall with one eyebrow arched. "What the bloody hell is going on?" she muttered to herself as she turned to head toward her room.

* * *

><p>From where they were crouched behind a bulldozer, James and Bridget watched as Kurt appeared in a cloud of smoke. James had chosen Bridget as his companion on this mission due to her ability to 'see' any approaching danger. As long as it was on the ground.<p>

"Okay," Kurt called as he walked around the construction sight. "So I'm here."

"Hello, Kurt," a voice called from behind him.

He spun around to find a hooded figure standing behind him. Rogue's description of the woman from her dream came back to him as he studied the figure. "You!" he cried, taking a step toward the woman. "You're the one from Rogue's dream!" He took another step and stretched his right hand toward her, one finger extended. "Who are you? Why don't you show yourself?!"

"You already know me," she began, reaching up to grasp her hood, "son."

"No," he cried when the hood fell back to reveal Mystique. Taking a few steps back, he added, "No, it's impossible!"

She reached out toward him, her heart aching at the look of disbelief on his face. "Kurt."

"What - what happened?" he asked, hands clenching into fists in front of him. "Why didn't you want me?"

"I did want you, Kurt," she told him, her tone fierce, "but Erik was right! You were better off with the Wagners!"

"Why?" he demanded.

She sighed, closing her eyes as she explained, "Because they could give you a normal life. You are not the first child I've had to let go of, Kurt, but you are the first I regret not being able to raise."

Kurt was silent for a moment as he processed what she'd just told him. Finally, he asked the only question he could think of. "Who is my father?"

"Another mutant," she said. "He disappeared shortly after you were born. Before we were run out of town."

"Vhat do we do now?" he asked, some of his anger dissipating.

"It is too late for us to do anything," she replied, a hint of sadness in her voice. "I just thought you deserved to know the truth." He opened his mouth to say something, but she had already shifted into a bird.

He watched her fly off before disappearing in a cloud of smoke. James tapped Bridget on the shoulder and they headed for his car, hidden behind a small group of trees.

* * *

><p>"Yeah," Logan said, running his hand over the seat of Alex's bike. "This is Cap's bike, all right. Makes sense, 'cause you smell a little like him."<p>

"Huh?" Alex asked, looking highly confused.

"Extra senses, kid," Logan said, tapping his nose with his index finger. "Everyone has their own unique scent, but people who're related tend to smell similar. Knew from the moment I first smelled ya you might be related to Cap."

"Did you know him?" Alex asked in an incredulous tone.

"Yeah, I knew 'im," Logan replied. "Liberated a camp together in World War II. Good man."

"Were you -" he paused, not wanting to endure the wrath of Logan. After a minute of contemplating, he decided the question needed to be asked. "Were you the one they used to try and cure him?"

Logan chuckled. "They didn't really use me. I volunteered."

"Miss Rosemund won't let me," Alex informed him glumly.

"Good," Logan growled. "Listen, Alex. I knew what I was getting into when I volunteered for -the procedure. I'd worked with S.H.I.E.L.D. before. That procedure ain't no picnic. Don't get me wrong," he went on when Alex opened his mouth to protest. "I want to find a cure for Steve, but I ain't gonna risk you to do it. I'll get Chuck to talk to that doctor lady of yours."

"Chuck?"

"Xavier," Logan clarified with a smirk. "He studied genetics. Between the two of 'em, they should be able to come up with a safe alternative."

"Oh." He was quiet for a moment as he watched Logan look over his bike, making sure he'd been taking care of her. "Can you tell me about him?"

"Sure, kid," Logan said, smiling a little as his eyes never left the bike.

* * *

><p>"Congratulations on your first successful mission," Hunter said as he passed James and Bridget in the hall.<p>

Both teens nodded, each heading for their respective rooms. While they had tried hard not to eavesdrop on the conversation that took place at the construction site, they had caught some of the shouted bits. Now, they each lay on their beds, reflecting on those parts in different ways.

* * *

><p>Across town, Professor Charles Xavier was sitting in his office, contemplating the day's events. He'd detected Phantom's presence in his school earlier, but Hunter Burden had already warned him. They had spoken thoroughly about what was to happen and what actions should be taken. He had understood the reasoning behind Hunter's request to keep the X-Men out of it.<p>

Scott was intelligent and loyal, a promising leader, but holding grudges was one of his more troublesome flaws. While Jean was the more level-headed of the two, she would have followed Scott's instruction without question, as would the rest of the team. He doubted even Rogue would've hesitated in getting between Kurt and Mystique, even if it meant unanswered questions for the German mutant.

So he had agreed to Hunter's suggestion of sending James and one other Rosemund student to watch out for Kurt. James was calm and level-headed. He would not rush into action simply because Mystique was the enemy. Since he had not given the mission to the boy yet, James had not made a decision and so his companion could not be seen. In the end, Hunter informed him that he'd taken Bridget. Xavier had agreed it was a good choice.

Glancing at his watch, Xavier noted that Kurt had been home for just under half an hour now. Even though he could still sense confusion and agitation from the blue furred teen, there was also a small sense of calm. He would talk to him in the morning, extend Crystal's offer to the boy, but for now, he was content knowing that his charge had found at least some of the answers he'd been looking for.

* * *

><p>So, I'm back after an EXTREMELY long sabbatical! So sorry it took so long, guys! Things just weren't going my way. So, you may notice that I changed Kurt's past. I was never really a fan of the way Evolution worked his past, so I went back to the original. Brownie points for those who can name his father! Also, you'll notice a familiar face interested in Alex. Is Nick Fury really interested in helping Captain America, or does he have something else in mind?<p>

I know there wasn't a lot of Brotherhood in this chapter, but I'm planning on them having a lot of screen time next chapter. We'll see a bit of them all training with Sylvie and more.

If you are also a reader of As They Seem, look for that update Wednesday or Thursday if possible. May be Friday due to the holiday.

As always, if there are any mistakes, please let me know. I will happily go back and fix them. I wanted to get this posted before heading to bed, so if the end is a little rushed or sloppy, I apologize. If I get any complaints, I may try and fix it.


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